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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974924">For Better, For Worse</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeneathSilverStars/pseuds/BeneathSilverStars'>BeneathSilverStars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Promare (2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A Homestuck Reference but only the one, But there's also background Thyma/Aina, But this is not genderbends lesbian this is some real trans hours, DIY Stick n Poke Tattoos, Drug Dealing, Drug Use, Forgery but like not as much as expected, Friends Being Pals, Friends being pals if you know what I mean, Friends making fun of each other because that's just the type of friendship they have, Friends showing each other their tits because That's just the kind of friendship they have, Galo and Lio spend a whole chapter getting married so that seemed worth tagging, Including a chapter from the PoV of an OC, It's safe to assume most of the rest of them are trans too tbh but that's not made explicit, Lesbians calling each other reclaimed slurs, Magically-Armed Robbery, Meis and Gueira are nonbinary lesbians, Mentions of off-screen teenage sex, Multi, My sad Californian attempt at writing a subtle Texan accent, Red Tape and Government Paperwork, Shoplifting, Thyma is Alive AU, Trans Characters, Weddings, Weed Jokes, Worldbuilding is more queer-friendly than irl but not quite perfect, background Gueira/Meis/OC, background oc/oc - Freeform, mention of a cult, office gossip, various points of view</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 18:22:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,332</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23974924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeneathSilverStars/pseuds/BeneathSilverStars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five times Gueira and Meis didn't get married, and one time they did.</p><p>(More info on headcanons and content warnings in the notes.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Background Lio Fotia/Galo Thymos, Gueira/Meis (Promare)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Fifth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Headcanons: In this fic, Gueira and Meis are both nonbinary lesbians. Gueira uses he/him pronouns. Meis uses he/him, she/her, and they/them, depending on the day’s mood. (They have some cool pronoun pins/jewelry to let people know what the current vibe is, imo.)</p><p>Content warnings: It’s implied that a 17 and 18 year old have sex off-screen, in chapter 6. Alcohol is consumed in chapters 1 and 5. Cocaine and weed are mentioned and a character is high on LSD on-screen in chapter 5. Lesbians call each other d*kes affectionately in chapter 5. A convenience store is robbed in chapter 6.</p><p>Some comments in chapter 1 will make more sense if you know this one weird fact: according to the creators of Promare, Remi has a girlfriend who got turned into an alligator, and he still visits her in the sewers! I think that’s the only meta I directly refer to, though. All the background details about the Mad Burnish are on me.</p><p>Thank you to Fruity for betaing, and Feather and Grey for letting me borrow their OCs! Enjoy the fic, everyone!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Friends, loved ones, honored guests,” Ignis began, solemn voice magnified by a small microphone. “We are gathered here today in celebration, not just of one event, but of the world in which it is possible. We are rejoicing in the hard-won peace and freedom that we will never stop fighting for. We are honoring the strength of those who fought, their effort and sacrifice and determination. And we are celebrating the love, not just of partners, but of friendship, family, and community.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo could hear Lio in the words. Ignis would’ve been happy to keep it short and to-the-point, and neither of the grooms would’ve minded, but — like Ignis was saying, this wedding wasn’t just about them. So Lio and Ignis had spent long evenings together, planning every word. Galo hoped it was still </span>
  <em>
    <span>kind of</span>
  </em>
  <span> short, though. His heart was beating so hard, and he didn’t know how long he could take it, standing there quietly, flowers in his hands, listening attentively, when his soon-to-be </span>
  <em>
    <span>husband</span>
  </em>
  <span> was just a step away, resplendent in chiffon and lace. (He remembered the materials, because they’d been important to Lio, and thinking about the time they spent preparing together eased his nerves a bit. Though thinking about all the outfits they’d tried on set his heart racing in a different way.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We would not be here without Lio Fotia and Galo Thymos, but they also would not be here without us. They were only able to accomplish such great things because of the support they’ve received from and given to the people around them. We are entering a new era of hope and cooperation. As we do, we must remember their example, and continue supporting each other, through whatever new hardships may arise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This union is a symbol of commitment. In the obvious way, yes, but others as well. Before they even met each other, Galo Thymos and Lio Fotia were committed to protecting those in need. So when they did meet, on opposite sides of the field of battle, they did not just fight. They also listened. They were not driven by the desire to be victorious over their opponent, but rather, the desire to keep their people safe, and they recognized that in each other. They understood each other. They put in the work, not to argue and insist, but to see the other side, and make sure they were each truly doing what was right. And thanks to that, they saved the world. Even now, they know that their first priority will always be the people of this planet, and their love is all the stronger for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We must all find that strength within ourselves: the strength to listen, to understand, to forgive. The strength to imagine a better world, and keep going until it is a reality. The strength to love.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ignis took a step back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina nudged Galo from where she stood slightly behind him, and he startled a bit. Right, the flowers. He handed her the bouquet he’d been crumpling in his nervously enthusiastic grip, and she pressed a ring into his hands in return. He tried not to sweat through his own lacy shirt and fancy jacket.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a similar exchange with Meis, Lio turned to face Galo.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was time for the vows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Galo Thymos. I knew you were something else from the moment we first met. From before, in fact; I made my plans carefully, and you did not disappoint. Stubborn, foolish, reckless, confident, brave, careful, kind-hearted… You met my expectations, and exceeded them — and then you did it again. And again. Not a moment goes by that I’m not amazed by you, Galo Thymos, and I doubt one ever will. Every time you rush to help another stranger; every time you look at me; every time you eat five pizzas in one sitting; every time, I love you more. Galo Thymos, you fill each day of my life with light and warmth, and I would not trade that for any other source.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He… He meant the Promare. Galo knew Lio had had a hard time, getting used to life without them, and… he was saying Galo was worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I give you this ring,” Lio continued, “as I give you everything I am. I place my very self in your hands, Galo Thymos, and I know you will treat it well.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He gently reached out for Galo’s hand, and slipped a wide band onto his finger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo looked down at the dark, delicate patterns that spread across its silver surface, at Lio’s soft touch lingering for a moment before withdrawing, and was surprised to realize he was crying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fuck, he still had to say </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> vows!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sniffled, and stood up straight, and looked into Lio’s eyes. He could do this, he could keep his voice steady, make it to the end of his own little speech. He could do anything, with Lio by his side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lio Fotia, you set my soul ablaze like nothing else! I set a fire for you, and I’d do it again, I burned the whole </span>
  <em>
    <span>world</span>
  </em>
  <span> with you and it still doesn’t match the fire in my heart. You’re so amazing. You’re so kind, and thoughtful, and strong, and passionate, and good,” and Galo could’ve kept going, but he tried to keep the list down to just what he’d written, though he wasn’t sure if he’d gotten it exactly the same. “You’re the absolute best, and you make me want to be my best, too. I’m so, so happy that I’ll get to spend the rest of my life with you. I couldn’t ever wish for anything else. I love you, Lio, and I give you this ring as a symbol of that love. Through spark and flame…” He cleared his throat, and tried again. “Through spark and flame, I have your back!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He fumbled with the ring he still held, darker and smaller than the one Lio had just given him, but with the same type of patterns. Lio held out his hand, and Galo took it carefully, managed to get the ring onto him without dropping it. Then, when that was done, he continued to hold it. How could he let go? The rings clinked when he shifted Lio’s slender hand in his larger grip; different, but complementary. A perfect fit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Varys was nearly sobbing at this point, and even Gueira and Meis were giving each other sappy looks. Ignis paused to let everyone collect themselves before continuing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you, Lio Fotia, take Galo Thymos to be your husband?” Ignis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.” Lio’s voice was steady, but Galo heard the emotion in it, saw the tears sparkling in his eyes as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you, Galo Thymos, take Lio Fotia to be your husband?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do!” Galo declared, smiling wide.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then, with the power I’ve been granted by the state for this occasion, I pronounce you married. You may now kiss the groom.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio tugged on Galo’s hand, pulling him closer, into the second-most important kiss of their lives.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The first dance passed in a blur. Galo wanted to savor it, but his mind whirled with everything that had already happened. The ceremony. The kiss. The start of the reception, the dinner, the toasts. Those were particularly memorable; Aina’s had been extremely heartfelt, all genuine appreciation and well-wishes with just the right amount of humor, and Gueira and Meis’ had been… very them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo had a feeling they hadn’t gone with the version Lio approved, but he thought it was very sweet and supportive! And honestly, they’d needed at least a </span>
  <em>
    <span>little</span>
  </em>
  <span> irreverent banter at this thing. Galo had known from the start that the wedding of Promepolis’s favorite heroes would end up more of a political event than a personal celebration, but it was nice to have the reminder that it could still be a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bit</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a party. And Gueira and Meis had even made sure to wait until the cameras had moved on to start making out! Very considerate of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The last strains of the music faded, and Galo reluctantly dropped Lio’s hand. There were a couple more things to do before the rest of the dancing: some politician was giving a speech, then the plans for the rest of the evening would be announced, and then the bouquet toss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo honestly didn’t hear a word of the speech. It was probably all good, important stuff, but, he could always look it up online later? So he just focused on the feeling of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>husband</span>
  </em>
  <span> at his side, and the faces of their friends, all around them. Varys had kept it together better during the reception than the ceremony, and someone must have touched up his makeup, because it didn’t look like he’d been crying at all. Ignis stood next to him, stoic as ever in his neat dress uniform, but Galo knew the chief’s public face hid a lot. They’d probably be having an emotional conversation later, once all the cameras were gone, and he… really appreciated that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remi was rolling his eyes and hissing something at Lucia; Galo had been worried he’d be sad, without the plus one that he once might’ve brought, but Lucia had been badgering him all night. Can’t be moping when you’re busy being annoyed! For her part, Lucia must have found a way to hit the open bar early, because she was holding a suspiciously teal drink, and seemed dangerously close to spilling it on her purple suit. That was probably what Remi was complaining to her about. He sure had taken his own outfit seriously enough, though the grey tuxes he’d spent forever debating between all seemed the same to Galo, especially compared to Varys’s lavender choices.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina, in a short and lacy magenta dress, didn’t seem distracted by her friends’ shenanigans, but she wasn’t exactly paying attention to the speech either. Instead, she was obviously trying not to pay too </span>
  <em>
    <span>much</span>
  </em>
  <span> attention to Thyma with her off-the-shoulder sleeves and long slit skirt. This was in stark contrast to Gueira, who had his hand on Meis’ leg through </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> slit skirt, a deeper color and a deeper cut that showed plenty of leg and cowboy boot. Gueira’s own burgundy waistcoat was unbuttoned, and he’d long since lost his bow tie. At least Meis was better at keeping their makeup intact than Varys — though it did look like Gueira had a little smudge of it on his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And suddenly the speech must have ended, because Lio was taking Galo’s hand again to lead him up a couple steps to the… stage was probably the best word for it? The actual stage for the band was on the other side of the room, but there was also a kind of platform with a microphone, over here. Galo stayed back near the edge as Lio strode up to the mic to thank everyone for coming, which was apparently a good call, because that made it easy for Aina to push a bundle of flowers into his arms. It was Galo and Lio’s bouquets combined, Galo remembered that much, though he had no idea where they’d been during the rest of the reception. He mouthed a quick “thank you,” to her, and she smiled and shook her head before making her way back to her spot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo felt a little bad that he got to do the fun parts while Lio just stood and talked. They both knew it made more sense this way, though. For all that Galo loved making impromptu speeches and lecturing on his special interests, Lio was much better at the fancy, rehearsed kind of speech.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“For now,” Lio was saying, “Galo will toss the bouquet, and then the dancing will continue. The wedding party will join us for this second song, and then the floor will be open to all. Thank you again for supporting us, in this and all our endeavors, and we hope you enjoy yourselves tonight.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was Galo’s cue, so he stepped forward, flowers at the ready. But where to throw them? He could just go for a random direction, hard as he could, let some stranger catch them, but that didn’t seem very fun. Not when his friends were right in front of him! Remi was out of the question, of course, and probably not Varys or Lucia either, when they weren’t even seeing anybody… Ignis was already married, so that was a no, and then Aina was yearning, sure, but it was kind of silly to just give the flowers right back. That left Lio’s friends, which, well. Meis and Gueira were still hanging all over each other. If anybody was past due to tie the knot, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>those</span>
  </em>
  <span> two.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mind made up, Galo pulled his hand back, winding up like a pitcher. He definitely lost a couple flowers in the process, but hey, that probably just made it look even cooler! He finally tossed the bouquet in a graceful arc, directly at Lio’s love-struck lieutenants — only for Gueira to nonchalantly duck out of the way while Meis stepped back and bumped into Thyma, which made her stumble forward. Her eyes widened as the flowers fell into her hands. She looked up, blushing, made eye contact with Aina, and blushed even harder, which set Aina off as well. Wow, those two had it bad for each other. They really needed to start dating already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Meis, though… Why had they </span>
  <em>
    <span>dodged?</span>
  </em>
  <span> They were obviously in love, and Galo was under the impression they’d been dating each other even longer than they’d known Lio. If they weren’t into the concept of marriage, he’d get it, but they seemed to have been having fun with the whole thing? Not just the way anything is fun with friends, but like, with the picking outfits, and the idea of a celebration of love, and all that? They’d been happy enough to be included in the main wedding party.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t time to dwell on that, though, because the next dance was about to start. It was Galo’s turn to lead this time, so he escorted Lio back onto the dancefloor, and settled his hand on his waist. This song was a bit faster, so Galo decided to show off a little; he spun Lio around a couple times, dipped him and pulled him up into a small kiss. He wasn’t an expert dancer or anything, he’d only started practicing a month or so ago, but he thought he’d picked it up pretty well!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A minute or so in, Ignis led his husband onto the dance floor, steps simple, but bold and precise. Then Aina and Thyma joined, Aina looking far less confident than she had while practicing with Galo, Thyma still blushing, with a flower tucked into her hair. Gueira and Meis were next, immediately launching into a series of dizzying spins. Then Varys and Remi, a couple of Burnish who Galo didn’t know as well as he’d like to, Lucia and Heris… Soon there would be more people — minor acquaintances, extended family, supportive celebrities — but for one song, Galo and Lio danced alongside their friends.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Galo made sure to look for Gueira and Meis as the reception was winding down. There had been a lot of hands to shake and well-wishes to receive, but he and Lio had </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> gotten a few moments to just hang out. So it was time to talk to their friends! Specifically, Galo decided this was the chance to make sure he hadn’t fucked things up with Lio’s friends, so he made a beeline for them the moment he spotted them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss!” Gueira greeted as they approached. “Congrats on finally getting hitched!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio smiled in response, broad and genuine. “Finally? It hasn’t been </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> long.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but you two have been so gross the whole time,” Gueira complained. “Maybe you’ll finally get over your honeymoon phase on the actual honeymoon.” Galo thought that was kind of unfair, since he and Lio at least usually </span>
  <em>
    <span>tried</span>
  </em>
  <span> to keep their displays of affection somewhat less public? But Gueira wasn’t exactly the type to be bothered by his own hypocrisy, so Galo didn’t bother pointing it out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of, if y’all want to sneak out early, Boss, we’ll cover for you,” Meis offered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thanks,” Lio replied with a laugh, “but I could really do without whatever you think would constitute a cover.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep, you’d hate it,” Meis agreed with a smirk, “but the wedding night sex would absolutely be worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio sighed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I assure you, an hour more or less spent here will make no difference.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira opened his mouth to say something, expression eerily similar to Lucia’s favorite emoji, and Galo decided it was a great time to bring up the reason he’d wanted to talk to them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gueira, Meis!” he said quickly, and they both turned to look at him. “I wanted to say, I’m sorry if I put you on the spot or anything by tossing the bouquet at you. It’s just a silly tradition, but I thought you might be into it, because it seemed like you were into the whole wedding thing? But, just because it’s fun to see your friends get married, doesn’t mean you want to, and… especially since this whole thing was so public, maybe I should have checked…” Galo trailed off, not sure how to read their expressions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment of staring, Gueira shrugged. “Don’t worry, dude, it’s no big.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just didn’t want everyone on our case about it,” Meis added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, have you </span>
  <em>
    <span>seen</span>
  </em>
  <span> Thyma all evening? </span>
  <em>
    <span>And</span>
  </em>
  <span> Aina, and they’re not even officially dating yet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Plenty more reason for the bouquet to go to Thyma than us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We shouldn’t be giving them a hard time,” Lio said, “there’s nothing wrong with taking it slow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Slow is one thing,” Gueira complained, “but slow would mean they’re moving at all, which they </span>
  <em>
    <span>aren’t;</span>
  </em>
  <span> it’s all ‘oh no, I couldn’t’ and ‘she’s just being nice’ and </span>
  <em>
    <span>pining.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“They’ll figure it out eventually,” Galo said, “especially with all the comments today! Just hope you two aren’t getting bothered about dodging it either.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Gueira replied, waving his hand in dismissal, “you don’t have to go on about it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t want to put any ideas in this bastard’s head,” Meis agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira turned towards them, like Meis had just done that very thing. “Y’know, babe. The free food…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis sighed as they realized what they’d done. “It’s not free if it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> wedding, dumbass. You’ve seen how much Lio stressed over the cost of this whole shebang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ugh, you’re right. Let’s go get more booze while it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> free.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hell yeah. I do think someone or other was picking up the tab as a gift, so it won’t even be the boss’s money we’re drinking, it’s some politician’s.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So we’ll be getting hammered </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing a good deed!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Exactly.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They kept chatting as they walked off, presumably to the bar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Galo said, “huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio shrugged. “They’re always weird like that, when people suggest they get married. You want to go cut the cake now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Yeah, I’ve been dying to, it looks so good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mmm, I’ve been thinking about something else that looks even more delicious.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Galo remembered that the cake marked the beginning of the end of the reception, and hurried to do as Lio had suggested.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>
  <a href="https://twitter.com/slvrstrs/status/1254993385053736962">I drew everyone's wedding outfits, if you want to see!</a>
</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Fourth</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last time: Galo and Lio got married. Gueira and Meis didn't catch the bouquet.</p><p>This time: Aina takes her friends shopping.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Aina frowned down into the chip bag. There was only a single potato chip in there that was still worthy of being called a chip instead of just crumbs, but only barely. Was it worth getting her hand dirty to reach for it? Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>really,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> she was craving it. But such a small piece would probably just make that worse! Whoever had left this basically-empty bag on the table instead of throwing it away was an asshole. Aina made up her mind, sighed, and tossed it back where she’d found it. She’d just get a different snack later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sweet,” Meis said as he walked into the room, “chips. This free game?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, this table always is, but, there’s like none left, so don’t… get your hopes up...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her warning was apparently both too late and unneeded, as Meis was already pouring the last of the crumbs into his mouth.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey,” he said. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Then</span>
  </em>
  <span> he swallowed his food, then he continued speaking. God, Lio’s crew had atrocious manners. “Aina, I had something to ask you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know where a good jewelry store is around here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was not at all what she’d been expecting. “Huh. You changing your look?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, getting something for Gueira, actually.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh?” Aina was definitely interested </span>
  <em>
    <span>now.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Meis replied, nonchalant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, alright, I’ll help! There’s a place at the mall that’s fairly decent, for mall quality, and there’s a nicer jeweler on the west side of town, though I’ve never been in, myself. Hmm, Varys might know more. He actually like, hangs out around town sometimes these days. Here, lemme text him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis scrunched up the chip bag and tossed it into the trash, then flopped onto the other couch, pulling out his own phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aina: hey varys do u know jewelry stores at all</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: meis is asking n i only know like claires</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’know, Meis,” Aina mused as she waited for a reply, “it’s wild that we actually, like, get days off, now that you guys are working here. Used to be if someone wasn’t here, they were probably at home sleeping? But now they might actually be at home chilling. Or somewhere else, hanging out? Like, available to answer texts.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis nodded, but didn’t seem to really be listening. He was probably texting Gueira, speaking of people with the day off.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: yeah i know a few, not my usual spot but i can ask around for recs</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: what are they looking for? are we talking like tattoo parlor jewelry or like, fancy shit?</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: it’s for guiera</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: [eyes emoji]</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: IKR!!!! i swear i did eyes emoji irl when i heard</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: i mean, it *could* be anything,</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: ya but hes like. acting so casual about it, it HAS to be something big. n like, hes bothering to ask ppl for advice about it??</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: there’s not an event coming up he might be celebrating, right?</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: i dont thikn so! it’s not close to either of their birthdays, we’re right between valentines n christmas, and like ig i wouldnt know if its their anniversary or smth but wouldnt that just make it a BETTER time to propose??</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: guess we’re talking about fancy shit then huh!! yeah i’ll figure some places out</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: do u think he just wants us to point him in the right direction, or like, would he let us go with him?</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: OMG im gonna ask right now</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Meis! Varys said he might know some places he could show us. D’you wanna go shopping? I think we all have…” Aina twisted around to look at the calendar behind her. “Yeah, me and Varys both have Thursday off, and then you don’t go in till like late in the afternoon. Think you’re switching off with Gueira actually, so that’s perfect! You in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis considered for a moment. “You driving?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Right, Meis didn’t have a car or anything yet, just shared Gueira’s motorbike, which was some kind of three-wheel monstrosity. Borrowing his boyfriend’s ride sure wouldn’t be super conducive to secret errands! “Uh, Varys has a truck, I bet he’d drive us.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe like, eleven? Gives us some time before you go to work, but not super early, and we could grab some lunch while we’re out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A’ight. Sure.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah, I’ll double check with Varys!”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aina: we all have thursday morning off u want to go @ 11? also can u drive??? ill buy lunch</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: works for me!</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: hell yeah!!! ive never helped someone pick out engagement rings before this is so exciting omg</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: wait did he actually say that’s what this is? :o</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: no he hasn’t said much of anything :/ but itll be fun either way!!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, text Varys your address and we’ll pick you up Thursday at eleven!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Hey, Aina. You want the last slice of my pizza?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina put down her book and looked up at Gueira suspiciously. Sure enough, he was holding out a pizza box, but, this </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be some kind of trap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... What kind is it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pepperoni.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just pepperoni?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, yes, dude, it’s just pepperoni, I’m not trying to poison you? I offer a bit of friendly coworker niceness, and this is what I get? Maybe I’ll just throw it away.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I’ll take it.” Aina held out her hand for the box, which Gueira handed over, and sure enough, it contained one slice of pepperoni pizza. She set it to the side and reached for her book, since she was in the middle of a pretty dramatic scene.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira looked at her expectantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded to acknowledge her thanks, but kept watching her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sighed. “Look, I don’t think you were trying to poison me, it’s just a little </span>
  <em>
    <span>suspicious,</span>
  </em>
  <span> because you’re usually the one begging for everyone </span>
  <em>
    <span>else’s</span>
  </em>
  <span> leftovers. But,” she paused to reach for the slice and take a bite, and then nodded in approval. “This is pretty good pizza, and I do appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh,” Gueira replied, “you were totally right. Like the pizza’s fine, I just need a favor, and now you owe me one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina took another bite of pizza and rolled her eyes. “You know, you can just, like, ask me, instead of trying to trap me in some kind of pizza pro quo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira stared at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina stared back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First of all I don’t know what that means, but that’s fine, because I don’t care. More important, you have to help me figure out where to get some jewelry.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pun,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira- wait,” she switched tracks as the rest of the sentence registered. “You need to buy </span>
  <em>
    <span>jewelry?</span>
  </em>
  <span> Is it for Meis?” she asked with growing excitement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. So? You gonna help?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I’ll help! Let me ask Varys too, we can take you shopping! We’re all free Thursday evening, want to go then? We can pick you up after work, grab some dinner, hit the town?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira seemed taken aback for a moment, but then he shrugged and said, “Sure. Works for me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a plan, then!” Aina was pulling out her phone even as she said it.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aina: VARYS</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: YOU ARE NOT GONNA BELIEVE WHAT GUEIRA JUST ASKED ME</b>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Thursday morning, Aina woke up bright and early. Sure she had the day off, but trying to sleep in only ever gave her a headache. That worked out fine for her, though! She always got so much done on her mornings off!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, she </span>
  <em>
    <span>usually</span>
  </em>
  <span> did. </span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> morning had been filled with increasingly outlandish speculation, planning, and straight-up gossip.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: i am *not* taking that bet. of course they’ll tell Lio first.</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Aina: lol i wonder if lio will be pissed they beat him to it, i know hes been thinking about proposing</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: ok ok but if it WAS someone else who do u think itd be??</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: i dunno, Ignis? he always knows everything, hed figure it out.</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: I think itd be lucia</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: WAIT varys dont you gotta leave now! ur like 10 min away from me right, and THEN we gotta go get meis</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: dont wanna be late!!!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: more like 5 minutes, and i was about to leave anyway</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: ok whew see u soon!!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, Varys arrived with plenty of time to go get Meis, who didn’t live that far away from Aina either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Aina said as they waited in the truck for Meis, “remember, we </span>
  <em>
    <span>gotta</span>
  </em>
  <span> keep this a secret.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait, </span>
  <em>
    <span>which</span>
  </em>
  <span> parts exactly?” Varys asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I mean, we can try to get Meis to admit to what they’re doing, but like, we shouldn’t be spreading rumors, and we definitely can’t let on to Meis </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira that they’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>both</span>
  </em>
  <span> doing it, you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right. Yeah, better not tell anyone else, it would go round the whole station.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, exactly. So it’s just between you and me and Meis, and also, you and me and Gueira.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Varys nodded, and then looked down at his phone as it buzzed. It must have been Meis, because Varys rolled down a window to stick his arm out and wave, and soon enough Meis was slipping into the back seat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a bit quiet as they drove to the first store. Varys was concentrating on navigating downtown traffic, Meis wasn’t that chatty in general, and Aina was trying </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard not to jump right into friendly interrogation mode. She had to at least wait until they got there! So she tried to confine herself to just a couple backwards glances at Meis between rounds of Two Dots on her phone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, they arrived at Golden Memories. The place looked pretty fancy; not somewhere Aina would usually shop, but for a nice engagement ring? Definitely appropriate. “Sooo,” she said as they started wandering around the display cases, “we’re here to help, so, you can totally tell us, don’t worry, we can keep a secret. Are you like… proposing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis looked up from a case of filigree necklaces. “You caught me. I finally decided, you know what, we’ve been committed to each other for our entire adult lives, </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span> is the time to propose, after nearly a decade. Apparently that’s what we were missing the whole time, expensive-ass diamonds on our fingers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No time like the present!” Aina agreed cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rings are over this way,” Varys added, “and there’s tons of stuff besides diamonds if you’re not into that!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis rolled her eyes. “Y’all. I’m not actually getting Gueira a ring. That was a joke.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Okay, that’s fair, classic engagement bling probably </span>
  <em>
    <span>wouldn’t</span>
  </em>
  <span> fit the two of them. It would be way more special if it was something more thoughtfully chosen! “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> you getting, then?” Aina asked. “We </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to help.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Earrings.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh! Yeah, that’s cute and way more practical! I think I saw some over here, come on.”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Nothing ended up catching Meis’ eye at that store, so they went to the mall next. Aina got them all fried chicken at the food court, fueling up before heading to the next store: Jay Jewelers. Sadly, Meis didn’t seem to get Aina and Varys’s jokes about every jiss beginning with jay, but that was fine. Genius wasn’t always appreciated in its time. Much more important was that Meis didn’t seem that interested in the actual merchandise at Jay’s, either. Varys had to pull </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aina</span>
  </em>
  <span> away from some bracelets that she really couldn’t justify buying for herself for no reason, but that was all.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well,” Varys said, “there’s a couple more shops farther out, but while we’re at the mall, we might as well stop at Bells and Whistles? They have a lot of junk, but if you’re willing to wade through it, sometimes you can get a deal on some really good shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis shrugged, so Varys led the way, to a storefront that was kind of a mess. It sold all sorts of accessories, from hair ties to keychains to novelty shoelaces, with the occasional miscellaneous item that didn’t seem to fit any kind of theme at all. There </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a variety of jewelry: rotating stands of mass-produced charms, bowls of mismatching necklaces, even a couple nicer pieces in locked displays next to action figures that must be limited addition or something. Meis immediately started poking around. Aina left her to it, exploring the place herself; she’d never really noticed it before, and she was curious about the weirder stuff for sale.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was inspecting a pair of gloves with only half the fingers when Varys nudged her. “Hey, I think Meis found something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She whirled around, but like, subtly, and there Meis was, a row or two down, pulling a little card off of a display. Aina dropped the gloves and snuck over, trying to get a glimpse, but from this side she could only see the closures on the back. Oh well, she supposed she could just ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Meis, whatchya getting?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She flipped the card around to show her: a pair of double triangles, facing up and down like elevator buttons, dangling from smaller, diamond-shaped studs. They were definitely made out of plastic. The clearish, neon kind, in a nearly-salmon shade of red, though the diamonds had a dark backing that changed their color. They couldn’t have been worth more than ten bucks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know what?” Varys finally said. “Gueira will </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span> those.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis smiled smugly and headed off to buy them, along with a novelty lighter she’d apparently picked up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So,” Varys continued, following her to the register. “When are you gonna pop the question?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis handed her purchases to the cashier and got out her wallet as she answered. “I told you. I was joking.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry!” Aina chimed in. “We can keep a secret!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis just paid and turned to leave.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina rolled her eyes and hurried after her. “Alright, alright, be that way. But since we have an hour or two left before your shift, and we’re at the mall anyway, do you want to stop by Lush? I ran out of lip scrub the other day…”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They ended up killing another hour or two at the mall, just hanging out and chatting. It was interesting to talk to Meis without the rest of her crew there! Turns out even though she didn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>start</span>
  </em>
  <span> conversations as often, she wasn’t opposed to joining in. And she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>hilarious</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Aina had thought Meis was shy around new people, with the way she mostly stuck to quiet comments to her friends? Or maybe kinda stuck-up? But no, actually, she was probably just making inappropriate jokes, and unlike Gueira, had the sense to keep them from being her whole first impression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finally made it to the station, right before Meis’ shift. “Alright, Meis,” Aina said, “we’ll distract Gueira while you stash your bags in your locker. Actually, we can even give him a ride home, then you can take the bike after your shift! Here, I’ll text him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aina: meet me out front binch</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: its shopping time</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <em>
    <span>Gueira: [finger guns emoji] [stack of cash emoji] [sunglasses emoji]</span>
  </em>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: we can just drop u off at ur place afterwards so leave ur keys for meis, then you wont have to go pick her up after</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: i dont think shes here yet but she has the shift after u right?</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: u can just tell her were giving u a ride home!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <em>
    <span>Gueira: Ya it sucks we have opposite today [eye roll emoji] [angry emoji]</span>
  </em>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: hey it works out for this though!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Aina said, “now sneak around the back, and I’ll text you when he comes out, so you can go in!” She shooed Meis out of the car, and turned to Varys.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> exciting. They’re so cute! Where are we going this time?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meis really didn’t seem interested in the super fancy store we did first, so let’s just skip that one this time. Honestly, I should’ve realized, it was Gueira we were shopping for.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s not exactly the picture of taste,” Aina agreed with a laugh. “Meis is a bit more put-together though, and Gueira should know that? So, maybe somewhere kinda in between?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Varys nodded. “Yeah, there’s another place that’s still pretty classy, but not quite as </span>
  <em>
    <span>bourgeois</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Maybe that, and then Jay’s?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure- Oh, here he comes! Remember, we haven’t seen Meis all day!”</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Gueira rejected both of those options at basically the first glance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ended up back at Bells and Whistles.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, this place rules!” Gueira hooted, holding up a pair of baby shoes emblazoned with knock off high-fashion logos. Or maybe doll shoes? They seemed small for even a baby.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Aina agreed, though it wasn’t quite as exciting for the second time in one day. “You find the jewelry? You want some help?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>That</span>
  </em>
  <span> part was still exciting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, I’m just looking around. I’ll know it when I see it,” Gueira declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What exactly are you looking for?” Varys asked. “It’s a surprise, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep! Meis won’t know what hit her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, is it something special?” Aina asked, as if it had only just occurred to her. “Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>proposing?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira chuckled. “Wouldn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> like to know.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina caught Varys’s eye and raised her eyebrows. He nodded excitedly in reply. Gueira was </span>
  <em>
    <span>totally</span>
  </em>
  <span> proposing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just five minutes later, Gueira shouted, “I found it!” Aina and Varys rushed over, and, lo and behold, he was holding a pair of earrings made of the same goddamn clearish plastic. This pair was blue instead of red, and the single triangles were more icicle-shaped instead of the equilateral doubles, but they were definitely from the exact same display. Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow!” Aina exclaimed. “Those look great!” They looked fine. Kind of cool, but not really her thing, and definitely not anything close to what she’d been expecting, but… god damn, those two were </span>
  <em>
    <span>meant</span>
  </em>
  <span> for each other. This was too much for shared glances, so Aina pulled out her phone as Gueira went to pay.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>Aina: oh my GOD</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: dont say anything but this is so freaking CUTE!!!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: of course i wont</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em><br/>
</em>
  </b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: but holy shit</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: IKR!!</b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>
    <em>Varys: this kind of shit only happens in romcoms!!!</em>
  </b>
  <b><br/>
</b>
  <b>Aina: IKR!!!!!!!</b>
</p><p>
  <span>She reluctantly put her phone away as Gueira finished exchanging pleasantries with the cashier. “Alright,” she told him as they left the store, “next Varys is buying us dinner!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hell yeah!” Gueira replied.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Monday morning, Aina could barely concentrate on her work. Gueira and Meis had both had Friday off, but today… Today it would all be revealed. Probably? Aina didn’t think between the two of them they’d keep a surprise hidden for more than a weekend, but, it was theoretically possible. What if they </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> both waited, god, the suspense was </span>
  <em>
    <span>already</span>
  </em>
  <span> killing her-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Gueira, Meis!” Galo called cheerfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Aina scrambled off the couch to turn and look, and there they were. Gueira and Meis, entering the fire station. And each of them was wearing red triangles on one ear and blue on the other. Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god!!!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She sat back down, trying to be patient while they got settled. They put their stuff away, checked in with Ignis, and then </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span> wandered over to the hangout zone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So?” Aina asked, soon as they sat down, nearly bouncing with excitement. “Are you two like… engaged now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis and Gueira shared a look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, we aren't,” Meis replied, sounding already exhausted by this conversation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why,” Gueira asked, “if we say we are, will you get us engagement presents?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis sighed. “You do this every time, you absolute hellion.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And if you got on board one of these times, it’d work, fucker!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not gonna lie about the true depth of my relationship to you, my </span>
  <em>
    <span>darling</span>
  </em>
  <span> sugar plum.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira made a fake gagging noise. “That’s disgusting. You’re disgusting. Do you want to go make out in the kitchen?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Please.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t waste any time escaping to the kitchen. Which shared an open doorway with the main room. So it was obvious that they weren’t wasting any time in there either.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What,” Aina said, “the hell just happened?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck if I know,” Varys replied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“When Ignis gets over here, do you think he’s going to tell them to stop, tell them to get a room, or ignore them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, definitely ignore them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think he’s going to give them such a dad look that they’ll stop all on their own, and won’t make out in here again for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>week,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Aina declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A week? No way. You’re on.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Loser buys pizza!"</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p><a href="https://twitter.com/slvrstrs/status/1259296632853671937">I drew the earrings,</a> if you'd like to see them!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Third</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last time: Aina took her friends shopping, and no one bought engagement rings.</p><p>This time: Lucia helps with some paperwork.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Beep! File saved. Swish! Window refreshed. Scroll down to the bottom, and… yes, that color of submit button looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> much better. All that was left was… Pshoo! Systems online! (Lucia’s computer didn’t actually make those noises, but it was way more fun to code boring shit like form websites if you added a little pizazz yourself.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright bitches!” Lucia announced as she spun her chair around. “Beta version is ready! Everyone got their devices?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio opened his laptop with a small click. Gueira tapped the power button on his tablet, typed in his passcode (which was 42069, Lucia could tell from here,) and swiped past several pages of apps to the web browser. Meis pulled their phone out of their pocket and waved it lazily in the air.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Looking good! I already texted the link out, so open it up… Is it loading for everyone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They all nodded, of course. It wasn’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> hard to make a form website work correctly across various platforms and OSs. Like, they were still going through it all right now, of course, to check nothing had gone wonky, but Lucia was pretty confident in her work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, first choice: are we starting from scratch, or connecting you to your old IDs?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Go over the difference,” Lio requested, or really, it was more of a command; no wonder they all called him the boss. He was a real Mr. Bossy Britches. “Is it explained clearly on the form?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, see? After you scroll past the basic information about the whole thing, there’s the options with the big check boxes, and then it’s got these big ol paragraphs explaining… blah blah, if you’re connecting to your old ID you need your old name and your citizen number or license ID or something to connect you. It’ll be provisionary for a year while they double check that it all matches up, cuz bureaucracy sucks, et cetera, but then once they check ya you’re locked in, and it still counts in the meantime. If the system finds any contradictions immediately it’ll pop up when you submit, or if something’s found later you’ll get an email.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Speaking of which,” Remi chimed in from the other side of the room, “remember to make sure everyone has an email address before they start this.”  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we got that part,” Gueira said. “We really had to fight them to not require a phone number, which was total bullshit? This type of shit </span>
  <em>
    <span>usually</span>
  </em>
  <span> goes more off of emails, but no, can’t let the Burnish just log in at a public library, no, they gotta get phones first, they gotta pay for service, all of that </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> they even have </span>
  <em>
    <span>ID</span>
  </em>
  <span> set up-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis cut him off with a hand on his leg. “Babe, we were all there. You don’t have to get worked up about it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just </span>
  <em>
    <span>sucks,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira grumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure does!” Lucia agreed. “But you made the most important stuff happen, despite the government assholes. Now, where were we?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Contradictions between the entered information and old information,” Lio supplied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right! So, if there’s a conflict, it’ll default to the older information, which is neat if you just forgot a number, less cool if you actually wanted to change something. If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> have a new name or some sort of status change or whatever, you’ll have to submit legal proof, like, the proper courthouse forms. Overall, the pros of doing it this way are, it’ll keep you connected to any resources or credentials you had before going off the grid, and it’ll help you connect to your family and old community, if you want. The cons are the difficulty of changing stuff, plus the fact that you do keep your arrest record and that kind of shit. But at least you don’t have to worry about debts, cuz we’ll wipe those out using the Foresight Fund. Make sense?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, sounds right,” Meis answered. “What about the other way?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The other option is creating a new identity, totally from scratch. You enter all your info the way you want it to be, you get assigned new identification numbers, and that’s legally you now. Pretty simple. If you </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go back and connect that to your old self, it’s possible, but it’s a bit harder to prove than if you’d just done it the other way in the first place. But, once you do prove it, you get to keep most any of the new changes: anything that’s theoretically possible to legally change, they’ll act like you did it the right way. So, this way can be easier if you want to make a lot of changes, or if you don’t remember any of your numbers, or if you just want to start fresh. If you’re like, fuck my past, that’s not me, then you never have to connect to it- </span>
  <em>
    <span>unless</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re found guilty of committing certain major crimes before you were Burnish.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three of them grumbled a bit at that, but honestly, Lucia was surprised it was so lenient. It could have been a lot worse! Lio had really been working his ass off going to all those meetings and shit, and it showed. They all had been, really; Lio was just the best at smooth-talking politicians through the more </span>
  <em>
    <span>fraught</span>
  </em>
  <span> matters, like criminal records.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So!” Lucia clapped her hands to get their attention back on the task at hand, before they decided to go storm the temporary mayoral committee offices or something. “Do you guys know your ID numbers and shit? Or do you have sordid (but not too sordid) pasts you want to get rid of? It would be useful if you didn’t all choose the same option, but I can also find other people to test the other way, if we need to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll start from scratch,” Lio announced. “I never got an ID card.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could still do this with just your Citizen Number, if you want to try and get in touch with your family to find out what it is…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucia hadn’t been sure if the ID thing was what was actually stopping him, or if it was just the reason he gave, so she’d figured she’d make sure he knew all his options… but it looked like it was the latter! So she just shrugged and nodded as she rolled her chair over to him, inspecting the way the site looked on his laptop.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, mark the scratch box here,” she said, pointing to it on his screen, “hit next, and the page with all the stuff to fill out will come up. Full name, date of birth, M F or X… then there’s more optional information, like place of birth, where you’d like to apply for citizenship, et cetera… You only </span>
  <em>
    <span>have</span>
  </em>
  <span> to do the ones outlined in teal, see, but the rest can be helpful for various reasons, just click the little icon next to it if you want to see what will be done with the info… Yeah, like that! Ugh, I hate the way graphics display on this OS, but there’s not anything I can do about that on </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> end. You really should have talked to me before you chose a computer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio ignored her commentary. He just quietly opened each description, read it top to bottom, and then either filled in the box or, more often, moved on to the next. Looked like he had it handled!</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Okay, what about you two?” Lucia asked, pushing herself off of the couch with one foot and then scooching around the table to the other side. “Who’s first?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Gueira said, “so, like, about the crimes thing…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry, Lio made sure it was just the super major stuff, for the scratch option. You haven’t assassinated any government employees, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Meis looked at each other. “I mean…” Meis trailed off, but Lucia could guess what they meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Before you turned Burnish,” she clarified. “You totally have amnesty for defending yourself from the Freeze Force.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then no,” Meis said, “it’s all petty shit.“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, what if… one of us </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> some shit, but never got caught,” Gueira asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then they’re probably not about to catch you now? I dunno, Gueira, I’m a scientist, not a lawyer.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira seemed content with that answer, just shrugged at Meis with a small nod, who shrugged back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well, that still wasn’t confirmation that they’d decided which method to use, so Lucia listed some more differences. “Do you guys want to use all your old legal markers? Have college credits you want to keep? Hate your ID Number? Planning to inherit anything?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm…” Meis spoke up at that. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>would</span>
  </em>
  <span> be sweet to get some shit when my parents kick the bucket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, dude,” Gueira jumped in, “remember how hard we worked to get you an ID, way back when we first met? We gotta do it the connect-y way, no </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> I’m putting all that work to waste.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Meis replied, “you’re right. Okay, that one, where it keeps all your legal changes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okie-dokie! Then click right here,” she pointed the checkbox out on both of their screens at the same time, one hand each, “and it’ll show you the forms to fill out! You’ll have a lot more required fields than Lio did, but also less fields in general. You guys know all your numbers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis nodded, Gueira fumbled for his wallet, and they both got started.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Looking good, Lio! Now on this screen, you can put any information that you know about anyone you want to try to get in contact with. And don’t worry, this part does </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> go through the government, the only way they’d even know it was a page on here would be by filling it all out themselves. We’ll be putting together an independent team to work on finding and reuniting people!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio nodded, but didn’t start typing </span>
  <em>
    <span>or</span>
  </em>
  <span> scrolling down. Eventually he asked, “Will this investigation be… subtle?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, the default method will include a reasonable amount of contacting family members, last known whereabouts, et cetera. But if you click this box here, we’ll try to do it in such a way that we don’t let anyone know what exactly we’re doing and why, keep on the downlow until we’ve for sure found this exact person.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good.” Lio smiled, looking up from his computer for the first time since he’d started. “I’m very glad that you’ve put these kinds of safety options in place. You did an incredible job putting this form together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, thanks!” Lucia smiled back. “It was mostly you guys making this all possible, though! I just coded the form.” She swiveled back around, so he’d have some privacy as he decided whether to fill out that section. It looked like Meis and Gueira were done with the pages they’d been on, so she gave the forms a quick once-over for any formatting issues, and then gave them the thumbs-up to submit and move on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This next one has some options to apply to change things! You can’t just do whatever, like with the other method, but we can at least streamline some things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can I change Gueira’s birthday?” Meis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, at least make yourself older instead of me younger, asshole!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucia cackled. “You guys are hilarious, but no, you can’t change date of birth. It’s just for names and legal connections and gender markers, stuff that you could apply to change anyway. And even though this makes it simpler, it’s still kind of a pain: they’ll approve simple first name changes online, and last name changes due to marriage, but if you’re just changing the whole thing, you gotta appear before a judge like normal. And if you’re changing your gender marker, there’s a whole ‘nother official form you have to fill out that’s like, hella long for some reason?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucia looked to Remi, since he had more experience with that one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not too bad,” he explained, “and doesn’t require approval at least, but it’s also more complicated than you’d think would be necessary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> is,” Lucia complained, “they should just abolish gender markers altogether. They should abolish all of this!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira nodded at that, but he mostly seemed to be concentrating on whatever he was filling in at the moment. Weird look on him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need some help, Gueira?” Lucia asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He made a face, and then admitted, “I’m stuck on my last name.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stuck…?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mine is just shitty,” he complained, “but it’s like, is it shitty enough to be worth going to a fucking judge to change it? Since I could just change just my first name now, easier… Ugh, why don’t they let you change both.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Lucia suggested, “it’s easier if you’re getting married, at least. Quick, marry Meis and then you can take theirs real easy!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No way,” Meis replied, “my last name is even </span>
  <em>
    <span>worse.</span>
  </em>
  <span> It’s boring </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> there’s about five different ways to spell it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, no, we are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> swapping last names. And that hyphen shit? Even worse.” Gueira paused for a moment, and then nodded decisively. “Yeah, fuck it! New last names!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think a good last name would be Blaze,” Meis said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, do not name yourself after fucking weed, you piece of shit stoner. Also, that rhymes with Meis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck you. As if you wouldn’t change your birthday to four twenty given the chance.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’re right,” Gueira admitted without missing a beat. “I totally would.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyway, you got any better ideas, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How about… Serket.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit.” Lucia just had to jump in at that. “You guys know H-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We are in the </span>
  <em>
    <span>middle</span>
  </em>
  <span> of an </span>
  <em>
    <span>important</span>
  </em>
  <span> task,” Lio reminded them. “Lucia, what exactly happens if I say yes to being connected to care providers?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lucia shook her head, pulling herself back into work mode. “Okay so, luckily, you guys should all theoretically be in pretty good health from the Promare healing you. But we figured, like, that also might mean you have a tougher time readjusting to that </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> happening?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anyone who has a chronic condition that the Promare alleviated the symptoms of might find it difficult to learn how to cope with it in more mundane ways,” Remi explained. “It’s also more likely that a population used to super healing will receive more injuries than average as they adjust. Not to mention, dealing with even the average amount of injuries and illnesses, on top of everything else, when they’re not used to needing to do so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio nodded along, looking a bit guilty. “Right. I’d been considering how to address that, but I figured we’d need ID first, to go to the doctor…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dude,” Lucia replied, “your priorities are fine, don’t go getting down on yourself just because we managed to find </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing to do that you hadn’t done yet. Anyway, we also figured a lot of you guys probably wouldn’t be too excited to go to the doctor, so we figured we’d make it a little easier for you to get started! We’ve been working on interviewing a bunch of doctors and educating them on what the previously-Burnish are dealing with, Thyma’s been helping a lot. So we’ll have a list of doctors who aren’t assholes who are ready to help out! So if you check that box, it’ll show you the list, with some info on locations and specialties. Then you can check which ones you’re interested in, and tell it to either send you their info so you can make appointments, or send them your info so they can contact you about it! Or you can just check, do whatever for me, and we’ll have some people contact you. Oh, and there’s dentists and optometrists and therapists, all the people everyone should have regular appointments with or at least a basic check up, plus some more specialized professionals! Technically you can skip over the whole section, but like, we highly recommend everyone at </span>
  <em>
    <span>least</span>
  </em>
  <span> get a GP and a therapist sorted.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio nodded again. “Thank you again, Lucia. This will be a huge help. You’ve done so much for us, and we can’t even begin to repay you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She waved him away. “This doctor stuff was mostly Remi’s idea, and like, helping people is what we do, y’know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Actually, not that we aren’t super glad you’re doing this, but, technically, </span>
  <em>
    <span>firefighting</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what you do,” Gueira said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Firefighting is our </span>
  <em>
    <span>job,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lucia corrected, “but we </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> it because we want to help. Just shut up and stop thanking me for this hella easy shit, save it for when I’ve built you all mechs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Meis both instantly lit up at that; even Lio looked up sharply. He opened his mouth to say something, but Lucia pretended to zip his lips for him from a couple feet away, complete with sound effects. “Nope, it’s happening, shut up about it till I’m done. Unless you have something you specifically want to request I guess, but, I have footage of all your armor and combat styles, and no offense, but my ideas are always the best so I don’t actually need yours.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Luckily, Lio let it be. Lucia honestly hadn’t been planning to tell them yet, because she did </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want them hovering the whole time — her work was best when she had artistic freedom! — but it was pretty gratifying to see how excited they’d all looked. Her mechs </span>
  <em>
    <span>ruled.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So, you said this medical care section can be skipped?” Lio asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Meis both turned on him immediately, protesting over each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t you fucking dare!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss, you can’t thank her for this necessary help and then turn around and say it’s not necessary for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio glared at them. “Oh? What did you just call me? Boss? I think that means </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> get to make the decisions.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, if you don’t do it, then we won’t either!” Gueira declared.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“... Gueira. Didn’t you brag once that you haven’t been to the doctor since you were ten?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“First of all, I was exaggerating, I think I was like, eleven? Maybe twelve, tops. And second of all, there’s no fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> it hasn’t been even longer for you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Way to be a hypocrite, Boss.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lucia, tell him he has to go to the doctor! And everything else!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She shrugged. “He’s a grown adult, I can’t force him to, and it’s no skin off </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> back if he doesn’t. Although…” she pretended to consider. “I think Galo would be pretty concerned if you never went to the doctor ever again in your life. And if you never went to the dentist?” She made a face. “Think of your pretty teeth, Lio!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira chimed in, immediately seizing on the new tactic. “What if you need glasses, and you never know because you never go to the doctor, and then one day, you realize, it’s getting so bad, that you can’t even see well enough to stare at Galo’s tits anymore!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio blushed, which was adorable. “Shut </span>
  <em>
    <span>up,</span>
  </em>
  <span> I do not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss,” Meis replied, “everyone knows you stare at his tits. Hell, I do too, and I’m a lesbian.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira continued, “it’s not our fault they’re out all the time. Kinda hard not to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So really, your denial of doing something everyone does is just more proof,” Meis concluded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remi rolled his eyes. “You’re all disgusting. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> don’t stare at Galo’s chest.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah,” Lucia said, “we all know you’re committed. Speaking of commitment, though… Gueira, if you’re still stuck, I’m just saying, it really would be simpler if you two got married and chose a new last name. You could even get divorced after, it’s pretty simple.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Meis, let’s make this easy and change our last name to, uh, fuckin…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Admit it. You’ll never think of something better than Blazit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god, how did you make it even worse! Your taste sucks! Maybe I like my last name after all!” Gueira huffed. “Okay, Lucia, I’m done with name, what’s next.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Heh… I’m all the way up to the doctor page with Lio,” Meis bragged. “Catch up, bitch.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You slow down!” Gueira shot back, and turned half around to try and knock Meis’ phone out of their hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>God, those two were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> married. Like, if they didn’t want to change their names or go through legal stuff, that’s fine, but. They were really so fucking married.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Meis has actually committed more/worse crimes than Gueira, they were just both asking for each other's sakes.</p><p>Lucia looked to Remi for an answer about the process of changing gender markers, because he's a trans man and has gone through all of that bureaucracy. Lucia is also trans, she just didn't care to do any of that.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Second</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last chapter: Lucia helped with some paperwork, but her advice on changing last names was ignored.</p>
<p>This time: Lio frees the Burnish.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“You were our only hope, but now you got caught too.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It hurt to hear. Lio knew he was there on purpose, that it was all part of the plan, but the people who’d been trapped here for far too long didn’t know there was a plan at all. And he couldn’t tell them, lest the guards overhear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Boss.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio turned immediately at his lieutenant's voice, and it was immediately obvious why he’d been called.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thyma was awake.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio rushed to her side, ignoring the way his anti-Burnish cuffs clanked against each other. He knelt next to her on the cold cement floor as she struggled to form words.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What… have we done,” she finally choked out, “to deserve this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her voice was quiet, strained, </span>
  <em>
    <span>tortured.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Not just by the cruel experiments the Foresight Foundation had no doubt put her through, but by the idea that she’d somehow </span>
  <em>
    <span>earned</span>
  </em>
  <span> it. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrifying. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kray Foresight was trying to destroy the Burnish, body and soul. But he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> succeed. Lio may have been his people’s last hope, but he was a hope that would never be extinguished. No matter how many times Foresight snuffed out their dreams, Lio would be the spark that would light them again. He had to be.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> deserve this,” Lio declared, for everyone in the prison cell to hear, “and my capture is not the end. We are human beings. We deserve freedom and safety, just like everybody else on this planet. We have done nothing wrong, and I will continue to fight until that is recognized, world-over. Someday, the Burnish </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> live in peace.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kamirah, ever-contrary, chimed in as soon as he finished his speech. “Love ya Boss, nice to see you and all, but you’re just as stuck as the rest of us? Not to second guess ya, but, your capture sure </span>
  <em>
    <span>seems</span>
  </em>
  <span> like the end.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Kam!” Gueira protested. “It’s just prison. You think that’s anything next to our boss? We’ll be out in no time!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio shot him a quick glance. Vague reassurance was one thing, but any discussion of active escape plans could result in increased security. Luckily, Gueira caught the look and stopped talking, leaving Kamirah to continue the conversation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, just high-security specifically anti-Burnish prison,” she scoffed. “But sure, whatever you say, pal. Personally, I still think we’re gonna die here, but, what difference does it make what we think. We can’t do anything either way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The next person to speak was somebody Lio didn’t know, a woman with short silver hair in tight coils. How long had she been here? Far too long, said the bandages crossing her entire torso and the way she kept her arms gingerly tucked against her sides.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just wish…” She hesitated, then started again. “If I could change one thing, I wish I’d had a chance to let my family know I was alright. Maybe… it would have been a false hope. But it’s been years since they last saw me. If I could have reassured them that I was at least doing okay for a bit, that I hadn’t given up…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis walked over to where she was sitting and crouched down to speak quietly. “We keep a list of people to contact. Tell me their email and a short message, and we’ll send it out next time we hit a library.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You… you can send a message?” she repeated, with the tone of someone wondering if it’s worth it to hope.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah!” Mattie, of course, jumped in to reassure. “We can totally do that, Ashrael! I’ve been kind of keeping in touch with my parents. It’s too risky to log back in to the same burner account for a second time, but there are workarounds, to get replies!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ashrael looked like she was about to cry at the thought.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re with Mad Burnish now,” Gueira boasted. He’d followed Meis across the room, and was now nearly lounging on him, giving Ashrael an encouraging grin. “There’s nothing we can’t do!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Except not get caught,” Saenin replied. His expression was blank, tone completely flat. Lio would have to check in with him as soon as they made it out; Saenin had trouble, sometimes, when he got this way.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Gueira was saying, “if you </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to put it that way. But that’s really not as big of a deal as you guys keep acting like it is. This is the boss!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Chase rolled her eyes. She didn’t have any bandaged wounds, but the exhausted circles under her eyes were so dark that the old tattoos there were barely visible. “Glad to know your bone-” Mattie elbowed her in the side, and she winced, tried again, “your </span>
  <em>
    <span>crush</span>
  </em>
  <span> on the boss is as big as ever. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m</span>
  </em>
  <span> still gonna get ready to die though. So, here we go: before it’s my turn and I get disintegrated, anyone wanna let me know they think I’m hot? Gueira, you don’t count.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira muttered, though Lio didn’t know if it was about the general sentiment, or his specific exclusion. Meis carefully hooked his arms around Gueira in a handcuffed approximation of a comforting hug as Chase continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like, I really wanted to get a chance to flirt with Fucksight’s secretary before I kicked it, but, I’m willing to settle for my last hoorah.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio resisted the urge to join in with Gueira’s muttered dismay. Everyone coped in different ways, after all. Chase’s methods just… had a tendency to annoy everyone else. It wouldn’t be fair to stop her, though, when she wasn’t actually doing anything wrong. His people trusted him as a leader in part because he let them speak their minds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was still an understandable grumble throughout the room, though. Verit actually stood up and started pacing, which meant they were stopping themself from doing something else. “Anyone else got anything to get off their chest?” they asked, biting out the words. “Vengeance to swear, feelings to confess? Whether we get out or die here, now’s a good time, huh? Might as well get it over with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey,” someone else chimed in, “ain’t Mattie like a priest? Anyone wanna get married, you could do it right now.” Lio couldn’t help but feel a pang of — not quite jealousy, but something between that and loss, as he saw how the people in the cell had gotten to know each other. He was glad they had had that amount of camaraderie, of course, but these were his people, even the Burnish who had never travelled with him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He</span>
  </em>
  <span> should know them. He should have been there for them, sooner, met them somewhere other than a Freeze Force cell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are y’all looking at us,” Meis said, suspicion flattening the question out of his voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sure enough, while Lio had been scolding himself for not doing more than the most he could, nearly everyone in the room had turned to look at Meis and Gueira.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You two wanna get hitched?” the same man from earlier asked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Gueira groaned, “this again. Every time it’s like, holy shit guys, for real?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis quieted him with a gentle press of lips to the top of his head, before looking up to stare down everyone who was watching. “The people just know something good when they see it,” he said, voice soft for his partner, but smile sharp for the others.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So…?” Kam asked, dragging out the word.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Meis repeated, “we’re fine as is. No, we do not need to get fuckin’ married in a goddamn prison.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno!” Kam never was one to back down. “I think there’s something kinda romantic about it! And like, if we’re gonna die anyway-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio cut her off. “We are not going to die.” It was important to vent frustrations, but it was also important not to dwell on worst-case scenarios, especially with children in the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But,” Verit protested, “there’s no-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> going to die,” Lio repeated. “This discussion is over. Just trust me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“… Alright.” Verit gave him a look, but sat back down. “I will.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a general murmur of agreement, even some shouted encouragement. Lio’s people trusted him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now, to live up to it.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>After the cave was searched for any new dangers, the people ushered in, the helicopter landed on a different section of the mountain, supplies retrieved from the cache he’d hidden last week, the injured checked over — after all of this, Lio finally sat down and took one moment to rest. He could spare just one moment. It had been exhilarating to overwhelm the Freeze Force technology with sheer force, to propel himself through the sky with only his flames, but this was something even more amazing: a low crackling fire, granting warmth and light to people who had been without for far too long. Soon, Lio would send Meis and Gueira to retrieve a less conspicuous form of transport, but not quite yet. They deserved a moment to savor this, too.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio didn’t know where he would be without them. His confidantes, his advisors. His lieutenants. Lio took the burden of leadership upon himself, the weight of everybody’s expectations, but he wouldn’t have been able to do it without Gueira and Meis, holding him up. They were an incredible pair. They were utterly devoted to each other, and Lio was lucky beyond measure that they’d devoted themselves to him as well-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“How am I supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> obvious about it, fucker!” Gueira screeched, at a volume that could probably break glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ah. What were they arguing about </span>
  <em>
    <span>now?</span>
  </em>
  <span> For all their love, they were constantly at each other’s throats. </span>
  <em>
    <span>One</span>
  </em>
  <span> way or another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I dunno,” Meis replied, thoughtfully. “Maybe it would help if we called each other somethin’ that showed relationship status? Instead of just dumbass bitch, or, I dunno, fucker.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you love it, babe. Hey, see, we say babe sometimes!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But we call other people babe too,” Meis explained with put-upon patience.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> totally do,” Gueira admitted, “but name </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> time that you did.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That night with Chase last month.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, right.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And that time we were making fun of the boss,” they continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira snickered. Lio rolled his eyes. It really hadn’t been </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> funny.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright, so babe doesn’t mean anything, but, back on </span>
  <em>
    <span>topic</span>
  </em>
  <span>, it’s not like anything else is better!” Gueira complained. “Especially the words that mean the right things, they suck. Like, partner? I’ll put up with it but I’m not gonna </span>
  <em>
    <span>call</span>
  </em>
  <span> you that. And if I ever ask you to call me your wife you can punch me cuz that’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> me. Or husband, to be honest.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio wasn’t surprised to hear that. Gueira’s complicated relationship with gender aside, the two of them had made it obvious just earlier that day how opposed they were to the idea of marriage. That conversation had gotten heated fast, inevitably; Gueira was a zero-to-eighty kind of person on the best of days, Meis wasn’t much better, and the topic was a rather delicate sort. Luckily they hadn’t seemed actually upset, just a little fed up. Was this something people were giving them a lot of shit about? Lio resolved to keep an eye out, and be ready to step in if they ever seemed genuinely bothered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“- just sounds awful to say,” Meis was saying, “legal terms are the worst.” Lio had missed whatever word it was. Maybe significant other? “Let’s see…” Meis continued, a dangerous gleam in their eye, the same one they got when they were about to land the winning blow in a spar. “How ‘bout I just call you my </span>
  <em>
    <span>lover?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Mother</span>
  <em>
    <span>fucker,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira hissed, “I will kill you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, but it’s such a sweet word, don’t you agree, Lover-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira cut them off by tackling them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gueira, please don’t kill Meis, I need them to drive a truck soon.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Both of them had paused immediately at the first sound of Lio’s voice, but once they realized it wasn’t serious, they’d turned back to their scuffle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once he had Meis in a headlock, Gueira </span>
  <em>
    <span>did</span>
  </em>
  <span> take the time to complain. “Boss, why can’t I drive the truck! I’ll have you know I actually got my license, back in the day, unlike this bastard? If any one of us is driving, it should be me!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meis took the opening to grab onto Gueira with both arms and flip him over, in a move that would have been more at home in a wrestling arena than a cave. Lio sighed. “Gueira. I am aware that you were at one point legally allowed to drive. That does not mean you </span>
  <em>
    <span>should</span>
  </em>
  <span> be allowed to drive, when there are other options. Sadly, we’re going to need more than one truck this time, so I will need both of you to drive.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yessss!” Gueira relaxed into Meis’ hold on him, as if their original argument had been anything at all related to the one that just got solved, and thus, the battle made moot. Not that Meis seemed to feel the need to continue it either; even before Gueira’s surrender, it had started to look a lot more like they were copping a feel than actually holding him in place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lio rolled his eyes. “By the way, you two are sickeningly obvious. I have no idea why you thought you might need to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>more</span>
  </em>
  <span> so.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, rad.” Gueira grinned. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> you knew, Boss.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“... Of course I know. You make out in front of everybody, constantly. I have walked in on you two. And occasionally other people. Multiple times.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, feelin’ jealous?” Meis teased. “No offense Boss, but you’re not my type.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gueira snickered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank fuck I’m not,” Lio replied. “I can’t stand you guys.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We love you too, Boss!” Gueira replied, still laughing.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. First</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last time: Lio freed the Burnish, so there really was no need for any last-minute confessions. </p><p>This time: Chase holds a DIY workshop.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Just fyi, this chapter is the one that makes the most reference to Meis n Gueira being lesbian-aligned kinds of nonbinary, and has the (affectionate, reclaimed) slur. There's also a fair amount of drinking, and general young adult shenanigans.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Yo, Chase, how did you get your tattoos?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on a sec.” Chase bit her lip in concentration as she finished tracing over the S again with her pocket knife; round letters were always the hardest. Too bad she didn’t have any spray paint to </span>
  <em>
    <span>properly</span>
  </em>
  <span> add to the layers and layers of graffiti covering the curved cement walls of this place, but, country girls make do. A shitty carving of her name was gonna have to be good enough for this industrial wasteland.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s up, Guiera?” she finally asked, flicking her knife closed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your tats. Where’d you get them?” Gueira repeated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>well,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chase started, immediately pulling up her shirt to flash the intricate lines curling across her chest. She was always happy to talk about herself, especially to a hot (if unavailable) lesbian. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“This</span>
  </em>
  <span> one I got from some artist chick I fucked around with a year or two back, she had a tattoo gun, needed the practice. And then this one,” she let her shirt drop and pointed to the messier letters on her thigh, “I crashed some party and ended up staying overnight, and the next day, we all gave each other stick n pokes. After that I did the rest on my legs myself! And then there’s my cult tattoo I guess,” she continued, gesturing to her face, “but trust me, you do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> want to hear about that one. Swear to god, I’m getting a cover up soon as I steal enough cash to pay a professional. Not gonna stick n poke my eyes out, thanks. I’ve kinda been wanting to do a Burnish flame too, but colors are way harder…” She trailed off, trying to remember how this conversation had started. “Why, you want one?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira replied, “why the fuck else would I ask.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you just wanted to see my tits! Who wouldn’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira laughed at that, short and sharp. “Bitch, I have more than enough tits in my own life.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That </span>
  <em>
    <span>could</span>
  </em>
  <span> be a reminder that Gueira was taken, but Chase decided to interpret it as merely complaining about his own chest without actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>denying</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he liked seeing Chase’s. Score. “Fair enough! So, whatcha getting? Skull and crossbones? Anarchy symbol? No offense, but you give off the vibes of a normie punk teen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says you with your ACAB,” Gueira grumbled. “No, me and Meis are getting some matching shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lol, that’s gay as hell!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase had maybe been a bit too loud with that one, because Mattie, who had been meticulously repacking his first-aid kit a good couple of yards away, glanced up curiously. “What’s gay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh well, that just meant she got to share the news. “Our favorite dykes are getting matchy tattoos, LMAO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Mattie exclaimed. “Like how some people who aren’t into jewelry get matching tattoos instead of rings, when they get married.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Someone’s getting married?” Saenin looked down over the railing of the walkway where he was keeping watch; he always seemed to keep a special ear out for Mattie’s voice. (And a special eye out for him. Repressed son-of-a-bitch didn’t have to admit his feelings to get all looky.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my god,” Gueira protested, “what are you guys talking about? They aren’t gonna be </span>
  <em>
    <span>marriage</span>
  </em>
  <span> tattoos. They’re just tattoos? We already decided-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, hey. You askin’ Chase 'bout the tattoos?” Meis asked, and with that, the whole gang was there. No privacy at all these days, for real.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira replied with a sigh. “Her good one was done by some semi-professional, and the rest are drunk stick and pokes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase… appreciated him not mentioning the scarred lines under her eyes and along her cheekbones, but she replied with just fake offense. “Wow, can’t believe you think the rest of my tats aren’t good, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> you’re assuming I was drunk for all of them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Were you not?” Saenin asked. Chase couldn’t see it from here, but he probably had one eyebrow raised in that smug way of his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, yeah, I mostly was,” she admitted. “Shut up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gueira’s got you pegged, Chase,” Mattie laughed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She </span>
  <em>
    <span>wishes!”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira high-fived Meis, and Chase looked down at her name carved into the ground, trying not to let on that she’d fantasized about that exact thing before. Fuckin hot-ass sexy dykes.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“Alright,” Chase said from the back of the van. “Usually you’d want to get some hardcore cleaning stuff, gloves and rubbing alcohol and shit, but we’re basically immortal anyway, so who gives a fuck.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira agreed with a laugh, “I really don’t think an infected tattoo is gonna be what gets me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You could probably stick and poke with an actual stick, LMAO!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mattie sighed. “Chase, the quality of the materials is still going to affect the quality of the tattoo, if nothing else.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah yeah, alright, Mr. Pre-med.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell us what the regular supplies are, and we’ll jus' skip the disinfectant,” Meis decided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Okay, first you need the needle. There are fancy ones you can like put the ink in, but a normal sewing needle works fine. Then you need the ink. We used India ink at the party, because it’s body-safe or whatever, but I don’t actually know where to get it? I’ve just been using sharpies. That’s kinda why most of my tattoos are shit though, hard to ink right with all the ink in the way.” She paused, scrunching up her face as she tried to remember anything else on the topic. “I’ve also heard about using, like, ash? If you wanna go hardcore on the traditional DIY shit? But I dunno how that works, we’d have to look it up. Kinda sexy though, burning your own tattoo ink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Meis looked at each other. It was kinda gross. She’d said it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>sexy,</span>
  </em>
  <span> not romantic, but here they were, making </span>
  <em>
    <span>eyes.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Meis was supposed to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>driving.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll do that one,” Gueira said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, course you will. Shoulda known.” Those two were so fucking married. “Anyone swipe a working phone lately or are we headed to the library?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mattie sheepishly pulled some sort of e-reader out of his bag (when had he managed to get that?) and booted it up. The city they’d driven to for supplies must have had universal wi-fi, because soon enough, he was reading off of some website. “Says here… Early tattoo inks were made with the ashes of completely burned wood, mixed with water. Oh, that’s cool, carbon is still the usual base for tattoo ink today! But they recommend using alcohol instead of water, or at least distilled water. Any sort of white alcohol works… and then you mix one cup of carbon black ashes with just enough liquid to create a slurry.” Chase snickered at the word slurry, but Mattie ignored her. “It says to mix them in a blender for up to an hour, so mixing by hand might take a while. And then… paper makes finer particles, but wood has less chemicals… and make sure you keep your carbon source and ratio consistent across the tattoo. That’s it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck yeah,” Gueira whooped, “we get to hit the liquor store! We have just enough cash for a big bottle of something, any requests?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, oh!” Chase knew exactly what she wanted. “Remember that blue raspberry shit? From the time we blew up a playground? You gotta get that if they have it! Or everclear if they don’t, I guess, and I’ll lift some cool-aid packets or something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hell yeah, sounds good! You got that, Saenin?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saenin rolled his eyes, but nodded. He was the only one of the group who was like, old enough to legally buy alcohol, and with the ID to prove it, so the task fell to him. And while he pretended he thought it was a total waste of their funds, he got black-out drunk with the best of them when he was feeling it, so, he’d long-since given up on actually arguing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drove around for a bit till they found a liquor store. Meis parked a store or two down, leaving the engine running, and unbuckled. (She was a nerd like that, buckling up when she drove, it was cute.) She would be going in with Saenin, since they were a pretty intimidating pair, in a classy way. (Granted, this was in comparison to Guiera and Chase, who were totally equally intimidating, but in more of a batshit way, and Mattie, whose baby face would get him carded the moment he even </span>
  <em>
    <span>looked</span>
  </em>
  <span> at an eighteen-plus establishment.) Meis didn’t get out right away though — first, she pulled Gueira in by his jacket for a makeout session that left Saenin glaring impatiently and Chase openly admiring the view. Then Meis pulled the jacket off of Gueira entirely, shrugging it on herself, before finally opening the van door and stepping out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira and Mattie both watched out the windows, in case anything went wrong, but Chase didn’t bother. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn’t in love with anyone else here, and she’d done this enough times herself, before her trio had joined up with the lovebirds. It was easy enough to guess what they’d be up to. Saenin would distract the cashier with like, questions about fancy wines or something. Meanwhile, Meis would grab whatever looked small and convenient enough and load up their jacket. (Well, their girlfriend’s jacket? Their partner’s? Chase didn’t know what those two called each other. Probably darling love of my life or something, yuck.) Then Saenin would “consult” with Meis, and they’d both act all dissatisfied at the selection and leave “empty-handed.” Or, in this case, with a huge bottle of the hard shit! God, having petty cash ruled. Chase was so glad they’d found Gueira and Meis; they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> good at convenience store robberies.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, Meis and Saenin were soon back in the van, pulling vodka samples out of pockets and passing Chase a handle of electric-blue. She immediately popped it open and took a swig. Saenin also handed Mattie a small bottle of something, which he looked at in surprise, before flashing Saenin a big sunshine-smile and tucking the drink away. It was probably some fancy wine, too weak to get sloshed off of even if you chugged the whole thing. Those two were such losers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next stop was for needles; an anything-and-everything store would work, but they happened upon a craft store first, even better. Gueira and Chase went in this time, since their energy would be a better fit here — they could totally pass as artsy college kids trying to throw together a shitty costume. Gueira had gotten his jacket back from Meis in pretty much the same way she’d stolen it in the first place, and Chase had pulled out the bulky hoodie she kept just for this reason, so they were </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> ready to steal some shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase struck up a conversation as they entered the store, jumping right in with, “I can’t believe you still haven’t told me what you’re dressing as! The party is like, this weekend, and I told you all about mine!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira picked up on it immediately, of course — and upped the challenge. “I told you, I want to surprise you, babe! Don’t worry, it’ll match yours. We are </span>
  <em>
    <span>so</span>
  </em>
  <span> gonna win hottest couple.” He grinned as he spoke, wide and sharp. Oh, it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>on.</span>
  </em>
  <span> The workers here weren’t gonna dare </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> at them on their way out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They made out up against the rows of fleece in the back, and Gueira grabbed Chase’s ass right in front of the cutting counter. Gueira made a show of holding up different colors of fabric and rejecting them, this one would be too dark, that one would clash with his darling’s hair, and the rest of them, well, they just weren’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>speaking</span>
  </em>
  <span> to him! His imitation of stuck-up artsy shmucks was so atrocious, Chase had to work hella hard not to crack up and lose the game.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They wandered the aisles, slipping a nice container of needles into a pocket here, a pack of fluorescent sharpies there. Chase actually noticed some India ink, but figured they were committed to the ash thing by now, so she didn’t bother with it. She grabbed some nice little containers for their inks instead, slouching forward to hide the bulk in her pockets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they left they complained loudly about how they’d have to look elsewhere, and the moment the doors slid shut behind them, they both broke out into laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your face!” Gueira wheezed. “You thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> were gonna put me on the spot, but I fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>got</span>
  </em>
  <span> you!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah,” Chase replied, “next time I’ll know better than to spring something on </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Or maybe you’ve just taught me to try something </span>
  <em>
    <span>every</span>
  </em>
  <span> time.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should be so lucky!” Gueira boasted as they made their way back to the van. “God, Meis is gonna lose their shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase hesitated for a moment, nearly missing her step over a median. She… didn’t usually give a shit whether her partners should or shouldn’t be messing around with her, but… it would really fuck up group dynamics if Meis was upset that Gueira had kissed someone else, that was all. It wasn’t even really cheating, they were just fucking around to make some crafty old ladies uncomfortable, but…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira had gotten ahead while Chase stumbled, and she hurried to catch up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” she started, “you don’t… it’s…“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But by the time she’d committed herself to a way of saying it, Gueira was opening the shotgun-side door and hopping in. He looked at her curiously, but she just waved it off and circled the van to her own spot. Fuck. If she’d fucked this up, Mattie was going to be so disappointed in her… Meis and Gueira were about to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>tattoo-married</span>
  </em>
  <span> and she made </span>
  <em>
    <span>out</span>
  </em>
  <span> with one of them. In a craft store!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She climbed into the van, glad she was directly behind Meis — but of course they immediately craned their head around to look at her. Fuck. She knew what she looked like after a solid make-out, and obviously that look was sexy as hell, but it wasn’t exactly subtle. She bit her lip, bracing herself for some goddamn consequences to her thoughtless slutty ways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dayum,” Meis said, voice flat, even as he dragged the word out into two syllables. “I'd thought for sure I’d get to her first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You snooze you loose!” Gueira replied, and Chase looked up in time to see the smuggest grin cross his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She thought about the effects her actions would have on other people for </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> in her life, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> is what she got. She was never gonna try being considerate ever again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis and Gueira fist bumped in the front seats, and Chase buried her face in her hands to hide her blush. Mattie patted her shoulder consolingly. Chase flipped him off.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>They drove out into the country that evening, slept under the stars. The next morning they had a couple bonfires. Chase lit the big one the old-fashioned way, gasoline and a lighter, perfectly normal fire, nothing to see here. Meanwhile, Meis and Gueira joined their flames to incinerate a separate stack of wood, carefully collecting the ashes into a long-empty two liter with the top melted off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as they were done, they got back on the road; it wasn’t safe to hang out at the site of a fire, even a totally normal one. This time Saenin drove, so Gueira and Meis could take turns mixing their ink in the backseat. Chase thought about calling shotgun, but she’d kind of been banned since that time she distracted Saenin into running a stop sign, and while it had been long enough since then that she could probably get a second chance… she didn’t want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>make</span>
  </em>
  <span> anything weird by </span>
  <em>
    <span>acting</span>
  </em>
  <span> like anything was weird. So she stuck to her normal spot, now squished up against Meis instead of Mattie. Meis was only an inch or two taller than Mattie, but it felt like so much more. It felt… nice. Gueira was such a lucky bitch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase passed her vodka around so she'd have an excuse to take another drink herself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Late afternoon, they found a burned out shell of a farm to stop at. The sprawling main house was totally collapsed, just a mess of old charred support beams and crumbling stone, but a couple other buildings were slightly more intact. Key word, slightly. The whole place obviously hadn’t been touched since the world blaze. That didn’t make for great shelter, not from much of anything nature could throw at them, but it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> a solid promise that no </span>
  <em>
    <span>people</span>
  </em>
  <span> would stumble across them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They ended up going for what had probably been the barn, with its three mostly-intact walls. It even had a concrete foundation, barely visible below layers of dirt and ash, but enough to make for a fairly even surface. Chase chose a spot that was relatively clear and immediately started setting out her supplies: a stack of shitty fast food napkins, one of the vodka samples, a couple sewing needles, a novelty ballpoint pen. She pulled the tips out of the sharpies, dumping the ink from each marker into one of the tiny bottles she’d grabbed at the craft store. By the time she was all ready, Mattie and Saenin were busy getting camp set up, and Gueira and Meis were sitting in front of her expectantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, so, first you clean off your canvas. Not as big a deal for us if it’s not perfect, but you still don’t want, like, dirt in the way.” She did as she said as she explained, wetting a napkin with the vodka, and using it to scrub at her left shoulder and down the arm. A cursory dry with a second napkin, and she continued. “Then, you draw your design. You can also just do it as you go if you want, but it’s a pretty good idea to like, at least put the general shape, or you could end up making one side bigger than the other or running out of space or something.” She clicked the pen and held it against her arm, but didn’t quite push down enough to leave a mark. “Hey, where would you say is the middle of here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over a bit…” Gueira instructed. “No, the other over. Yeah, like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase started at that point and drew a simple oval, about a hand tall and half as wide, trying to keep it centered and even. She didn't have the best feel for balanced shapes even when she was sober, of course, but tattoos were worth at least trying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“This look good?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nope.” Meis held out their hand, and Chase rolled her eyes but handed them the pen. They held her arm carefully in place and went over the oval again, straightening it out with a sharp, deep press. Chase tried not to shiver and fuck them up, but it was such a nice mix of rough and tender — and now that she knew she had a chance at a threesome? Whew.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they handed the pen back, she reluctantly took it, and went back to work, outlining a couple rough layers of flame within the defined space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kay, now that you’ve got the design, you start in on the outline! You’re gonna be cleaning off the extra ink a lot so you can see what you’re doing, so you want to get that shit down before the pen gets wiped away. I’ll kinda be fucked, what with my permanent sharpies, but I’m like, a professional, so, no big.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She picked out a needle, one that was big but still sharp. She carefully dipped it in the violet ink, and, before she had a chance to think about it, poked herself in the arm, right at the tip of the flame. Starting was always the hardest, but once she got that over with, it was easy to continue as she spoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should definitely be able to feel it go into the skin, but if it bleeds, you’re going too deep and you’re gonna make a mess. I like to start with like, the corners of the design, dot out the curves, and then fill in the space in between? Helps me keep things even, since I’m not super consistent. Then once the lines are all down, you start filling in. Make sure you dip between every poke, these needles don’t exactly hold a lot of ink. And then wipe it off when you’re starting to not be able to see as well. I would say to watch out for swelling, cuz if it starts getting all puffy it won’t hold the ink very well, but that’s not gonna happen to us. You might have to go over it a few extra times to convince your skin to hold onto it, but there’s way less other stuff to worry about and it heals way faster, so, totally worth it. Got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Doesn’t look all too hard,” Meis replied, nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it’s pretty simple! Alright then, you’ve graduated Chase’s Tattoo Class, go engrave your undying love for each other onto your skin or whatever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira whooped and went to retrieve their carbon black. Meis borrowed Chase’s pen again and picked out a needle, laying their supplies out on some more napkins, a couple feet away from where Chase was working. Gueira swished around the ink for a bit to make sure he was still happy with the texture, then passed it to Meis so he could take off his jacket, shirt, and binder, tossing them all in a messy pile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn, now who’s showing off their tits,” Chase commented as she dipped her needle for the next poke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You actually kept your shirt on today, so I had to make up for the tragic shortage,” Gueira replied. “Saenin, it’s your turn tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Saenin flipped him off without looking up from the map he was charting routes on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis dipped a napkin in some spare vodka and then wiped off a spot on Gueira’s chest, below the collarbone, right about where the edge of his binder would have been. Then she started drawing, something rectangular in overall shape, but Chase couldn’t make out the details, concentrating as she was on her own tattoo. She did pause to watch Meis’ first couple pokes, but she seemed pretty confident about it and nothing was obviously wrong with her technique, so Chase turned back to her own.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She gave them a couple minutes to get into the rhythm before she started talking again. “So, should I send Mattie to get some flowers or something? Since y’all are like, committing yourselves to each other? I’m just saying, it would be awkward to break up now, even though I know it’s totally tempting to compete over me, so...”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Reckon that would be awkward with or without the tattoos, hun,” Meis murmured, at the same time that Gueira complained, “Do you really think we’re a </span>
  <em>
    <span>flowers</span>
  </em>
  <span> couple?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, no, sorry, you’re right. How about, uhh…" Between Meis' cute under-the-influence accent and Chase's own blue-razz'ed ass, she had a bit of a hard time thinking, but she finally settled on, "thistles and firecrackers?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck yeah,” Gueira replied, mood turning right around for a moment at the mention. “Firecrackers, babe, why didn’t we think of that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I thought you weren’t celebrating anything…?” Saenin asked, still without looking up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I mean, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> kind of our anniversary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase gasped overdramatically. “OMG! Matchy tats on a special day and everything? Who are you trying to fool, this is totally some getting married shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis chuckled, dry and deep. “Not quite.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But babe, wait, if we say this is our wedding, Chase is gonna get us firecrackers!” Gueira was starting to gesture excitedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I can’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> right now,” she admitted, “but, it’s the thought that counts? I could </span>
  <em>
    <span>make</span>
  </em>
  <span> some fireworks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay still,” Meis said, pushing at Gueira, who sheepishly complied. “You don’t get to decide this is a weddin' just for a fire show. We can show off some </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> time, when we’re more’n a couple hours from a major city.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Mattie chimed in, “you gotta propose a little sweeter, Gueira! I could help you set something up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh my </span>
  <em>
    <span>god,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira groaned, “Do you guys </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> think I need your advice to woo my own-“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Settle </span>
  <em>
    <span>down, </span>
  </em>
  <span>dumbass, or did you forget you’re gettin’ a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tattoo.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Meis slapped at Gueira’s shoulder, not that hard, but enough to make him wince and hold still again. “I’m gonna fuck this up if you keep wigglin’ round.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Gueira, settle down for your </span>
  <em>
    <span>fiancée.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Chase added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira let out a sound similar to a screech in tone if not volume, and started to get up. Meis swore under their breath. “That’s it,” they declared, turning to glare at Chase. “Shut the fuck up or get the fuck out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chase was done with her pink for now anyway, so she shrugged, popping the cap onto the bottle and gathering her things. “Sure, lovebugs, I’ll leave you to your honeymoon!” She made kissy noises over her shoulder as she walked back to the van, confident that Gueira wouldn’t run out on Meis to retaliate. Those bitches had it bad for each other. Even if she did make it into their bed eventually, Chase knew they’d never give a shit about anyone else the way they did each other, and that was just fine with her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She</span>
  </em>
  <span> was never going to let herself get all old-and-married like those two definitely were, no matter how much they claimed they weren’t. Sappy motherfuckers.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Zero</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Last time: Chase held a DIY workshop, helping Meis and Gueira do their totally-not-wedding tattoos.</p><p>This time: Gueira and Meis talk.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is the chapter where 17/18 year olds make out and talk about having sex. There is also drug-dealing, including mentions of weed, acid, and cocaine, and a character is high on acid on-screen.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sky was wide and blue and open, and the plains were just as endless. The rolling hills were broken up by rocky cliffs, but just like with the clouds in the sky, the expanse continued on the other side as if uninterrupted. A single, two-lane road wound from horizon to horizon, empty the entire way; there was no one but the two of them, for as far as the eye could see. The only movement was the occasional light breeze rustling through the tall grasses. In other words, this place was boring as shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey,” Gueira called, deciding his revelation was worth sharing, “this place is boring as shit.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the one who said we should turn west at the last interchange instead of continuing north,” Meis replied, shifting from sitting on the rocks to lounging on them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, well you shouldn’t have listened to me, fucker. I barely know what west </span>
  <em>
    <span>is.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s a direction, my darlin’ honey pie.” Meis’ tone was far too flat to be serious, and their shirt rode up a bit as they stretched.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, fuck, really?” Gueira laughed as he trekked back from where he’d been trampling all over the grass. “Thanks for enlightening me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Any time, sugartits.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment of silence and then Gueira was close enough for Meis to reach for, which they did, tugging sharply on the hem of his pants. Gueira saw it coming, but let Meis unbalance him all the same. He made sure to fall right into his partner’s lap. All the air left Meis’ lungs in a wheeze thanks to a well-placed elbow, but they retaliated quickly, pushing Gueira off and onto the rocks. But </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> put Gueira in prime position to get to the ticklish spot behind Meis’ knees, so, not such a smart move after all. Gueira was absolutely winning this fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several minutes of wrestling, tickling, and kissing later, they called it a draw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m so lucky to have you teaching me about directions and shit,” Gueira continued, as uninterrupted in his conversation as the sky. He’d thought of something really clever to add, after all. “Without you, I’d be… lost.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis huffed out a laugh, pulling Gueira closer. “Didjya drag us all the way out here just to make that pun?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yep,” Gueira announced, popping the P. “A hundred miles for a conversation we could have had on any street corner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t start makin’ out halfway through on a street corner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You can if you’re not a </span>
  <em>
    <span>coward.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis laughed again, louder, and it really did make all the miles worth it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meis?” After he was sure he had their attention — not that he ever didn’t, he realized with a smile — he continued. “This place may suck, but I really don’t give a shit. Big cities, little towns, middle of absolute nowhere, I’ll make out with you anywhere. Wherever you wanna go, babe, I’ll follow.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Again, I’m the one who followed </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> sweet ass out here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wow, you really </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> love me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Through big cities, little towns, and this,” Meis agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck yeah. Wherever the road takes us, we’ll take it together!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Gueira.” Gueira rarely used Meis’ name, but the opposite was nearly unheard of, so Gueira made sure to listen the fuck up to whatever was next. “Wanna get married?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh, shit. That </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span> an actual name kind of moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira hadn’t really thought about getting married before, but now that he did, it sounded like the best fucking idea in the world. Why the hell not?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That sounds like the best fucking idea in the world!” he repeated, out loud. “Why the hell not!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck yeah,” Meis replied, and they spent another good half hour making out in the middle of absolute nowhere before they made it back to the car.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>“The rules are all different by state? This is so complicated. What state are we even </span>
  <em>
    <span>in-</span>
  </em>
  <span> fuck, it won’t let me go back, what the fuck.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis held out their hand, a silent request for Gueira to return their shitty music player. Meis had held onto it all these years because it was out-of-date enough to not shout their identity and location to any government agent who wanted to know, but its age </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> showed. It didn’t even play music anymore — the speakers had been busted for ages, and its proprietary wireless headphones had been out of circulation for just as long — but it could still connect to wi-fi and that’s what mattered. Still a pain in the ass to use, though, and Gueira had never quite gotten the hang of it, no matter how many times he insisted he’d get it this time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He grumbled as he handed it over, but Meis pushed the bag of donut holes towards him in return, and he seemed happy enough to turn his attention to finishing those off. Meis knocked the player on the table twice to unstick the home button, cleared all running applications — it had been trying to auto-download the week’s hottest hits, no wonder it was crashing — and re-connected to the Dunkin Donuts guest wi-fi.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A couple minutes of research later, Meis summarized their findings. “This area doesn’t technically have a waiting period between applying for a license and getting it, but a reservation </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> required, which adds time. Y’also need photo ID, a citizen number card, and one hundred thirty bucks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A citizen card? Damn, I don’t even know my number, let alone have the actual card. And over a hundred dollars? Are poor people just not allowed to get married?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a fee waiver application, theoretically.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still bullshit. What do we do?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hold on. Lemme see what else… A’ight, the next state over is way less strict. You only need photo ID. There’s a twenty-four hour wait, but no reservation, and it’s only forty-five bucks.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s still a bunch of money…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Way less than getting me an ID will be.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh fuck, right, you drive so responsibly, I always forget you never actually got your license.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, dumbass, it’s kinda important not to get pulled over for runnin’ a stop sign when you’re not allowed to drive in the first place. No big deal though, I’ll find us a forger.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ooh, babe, you’re so naughty, with all your criminal connections. Hey, can we get some more donuts on our way out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis paused for a moment, figuring out a plan of attack. Once they got started, they’d want to get out as fast as possible, but it takes time to gas up anyway… “Sure, grab as many as y’want while I fill the car.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh hell yeah.” Gueira shook out his shoulders, popped his neck, and stood up on his chair, one foot up on the table. “Alright bitches!” he announced, raising his voice to carry through the entire Dunkin Donuts slash convenience store slash rest stop. “Anyone call the cops and this place is going down in flames!” As he spoke, he summoned his fire, tossing it back and forth between his hands. “I want all the money from all the registers, four dozen assorted donuts to go, and fifty dollars of gas on…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pumps one and four,” Meis supplied.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fifty each on pumps one and four! And make sure you put some donut holes in those boxes too. The cinnamon sugar ones. Love those fuckers. No maple donuts though, that shit’s an affront. Maple is for pancakes only, got it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The donut guy nodded, looking far more tired than scared, and started loading up the pastry boxes. Gueira grabbed two shopping baskets and started pulling snacks off of shelves, flames still dancing across his shoulders, occasionally shouting additional donut flavor requests. Meis watched him fondly for a moment before heading to the soda fountain to fill a jumbo cup with Cherry Dr. Pepper. A stop by the register for a Five-Hour Energy, which they immediately dumped into the soda, and then they strolled outside to start filling their tank and spare canisters.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>The forger was small, with wild teal hair and a face full of piercings. Gueira had no idea how Meis had got in contact with them, but they looked artsy as hell; Gueira trusted them to forge some shit.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright,” they were explaining. “I can make a fake ID that says whatever, good enough to get you into a bar, but if the info’s getting entered into a computer, then you don’t want it to come back with an error, right, you’re going to need an actual ID number, which I can’t get you, I’m an artist, not a hacker.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Heh, Gueira was totally right. They probably sold abstract sculptures or some shit to cover up their actual trade.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s a couple ways to do that,” they continued, “like borrowing from someone with a cleaner record, or just getting into the system the old fashioned way, or bribing the right people. Bribe’s simplest to get done right, but the guys around here are hells of expensive, since they do so well, right, taking less jobs makes it easier to slip under the radar.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The ol’ fashioned way?” Meis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just, y’know, head on down to the DMV. I do have a source for extra citizen numbers, if yours ain’t happening, and I can get you the missing paperwork. You looking for a driver’s license, or just photo ID? What exactly are you doing?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A license would be nice, but we just need the ID for now. We’re…” Meis hesitated, probably wondering how much this rando needed to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re getting married!” Gueira announced. The more info this guy had, the better advice they could give, right? Plus, it just felt fucking awesome to say.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, huh,” they replied, “congrats, I guess. Y’know I could just whip you up a marriage certificate?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That had not actually occured to Guiera, and glancing at Meis, it seems she hadn’t thought about it either. That would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>easier,</span>
  </em>
  <span> but...</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’re not </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretending</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get married,” Gueira decided, “we want to </span>
  <em>
    <span>actually</span>
  </em>
  <span> get married. Like, fuck the police, we shouldn’t have to settle for </span>
  <em>
    <span>fake</span>
  </em>
  <span> married just cuz we don’t have the right papers.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, well, in that case you need an actual ID number, but not necessarily an actual ID, kind of the opposite of what I usually do, heh. You want to bribe, or apply?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’re they each like?” Meis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two of them kept talking, going over details, and Gueira started wandering around. The artist’s house was plain in furnishings, all bare white walls and DIY shelves, but every surface was absolutely chock full of </span>
  <em>
    <span>stuff</span>
  </em>
  <span> — cups of paintbrushes, little clay figurines, cardboard scraps, dirty clothes… There was a cool lizard skull in a jar that Gueira thought about stealing, but eventually he decided he didn’t want to fuck up Meis’ reputation with her contacts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“… might be able to get my sister to mail me my birth certificate and citizen card,” Meis was saying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That would be a lot cheaper,” the artist agreed, “and then you’ll just need proof of address, which is hella easy to fake, you just pick a place in the city and I’ll print you out a couple utility bills. The actual card will get sent there, and they might get searched if anyone’s ever after you, so choose wisely.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know anyone ‘round here, so feel free to put down wherever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright sweet, I have this one asshole ex I like to fuck with, I’ll put his apartment down. You wanna go ahead and check with your sis about the documents? You can use my burner phone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis just nodded, and the artist left the room to get it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really think she’s gonna do that? And only that?” Gueira asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She might’ve moved out by now, in which case she wouldn’t be happy ‘bout visiting home, but she shouldn’t be too far away for it. Our parents’ve always kept the papers in the same place, and I doubt they’d bother to throw mine away. Shouldn’t be too hard to get. And I reckon she absolutely owes me one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright, if you think it’s worth it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The artist came back with the phone and Meis quickly dialed. Gueira tried not to listen to Meis’ side of the convo; she was touchy about her family, and she’d tell Gueira later about anything she wanted him to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another couple minutes and a pocketed deck of playing cards later — surely this wouldn’t be missed like the skull would be — Meis hung up. “Text her your address, same number, and she’ll mail ‘em. Might take a couple weeks, but if they’re not here by the end of the month, I’ll call again and motivate her.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good. How should I contact you when it’s all ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Email.” Meis rattled off a string of letters and numbers that she was somehow going to remember perfectly in order to actually create the account later, and the artist dutifully wrote them down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Alright! Just drop off payment in my mailbox soon as you have it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis nodded, and that was that. Now they just had to get the money.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Meis refreshed his email again. Liza had fucking sworn she’d sent the papers four days ago, with two day shipping. If she’d backed out again he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>gonna</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell their parents what actually happened to their spare cash jar five years ago, Meis wasn’t gonna let Liza blame the delays on her fucking girlfriend again. Honestly. She was still in town, it shouldn’t be that hard to pop over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis refreshed again, but immediately set the player down — Gueira was tugging on his shirt, trying to get his attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s it now,” Meis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira paused, visibly making an effort to focus on Meis’ face. “Wouldn’t you like to know,” he finally answered, grinning slyly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re the one who had something to tell me, babe.” Meis reminded him, patient.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shit, did I?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Must’ve.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hmm. Maybe I just wanted to look at you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well… maybe I wanted a kiss too?” His tone was thoughtful, genuinely unsure of what he’d been planning. Acid had a tendency to do that. Meis preferred plain ol’ weed himself these days, but Gueira had been “embezzling” half a tab here and there since they’d started running LSD a couple weeks ago.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis leaned down and kissed him, a sweet couple of seconds, before gently pushing his head away. “Go look at the ceiling tiles again, I’m checkin’ the email.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am!” Gueira laughed, wiggling into a more comfortable sprawl on the concrete floor. “Did you know they’re like, hella pink right now?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So I’ve heard,” Meis replied, picking up the player again — and nearly dropping it when he noticed the unread email at the top of the page. He tapped on it, and there it was: Ket saying everything was ready.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis had turned eighteen a couple days ago, so this was the last piece. They were going to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>married.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis fished the car key out of Guiera’s pocket — they’d actually nabbed a key this time, not just hot-wired, it was real convenient — and then rummaged around the room for his boots, and on second thought, a pen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Babe, I’m headin’ out, be back by nine.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, sweet, fuck em up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just pickin’ some shit up. No fuckin’ involved.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh. Well, damn. Fucking rules. Both kinds.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis smiled. “Here, gimme your hand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira held it out, eyes wide and curious. Meis softly uncurled his partner’s fingers, then scribbled the same information on his palm: </span>
  <em>
    <span>Picking something up, be back by nine. -M</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira squirmed and pulled his hand back, squinting at it. “You’re picking something up? What time’s it now? Will you pick </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span> up?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Half-past-seven,” Meis replied, and then he hefted Gueira up into his arms in one smooth movement. Gueira’s surprised shriek quickly dissolved into laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You really did it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Anythin’ for y’all, you utter disaster. Just promise y’won’t touch the blow while I’m out?” Gueira always got curious about the harder drugs when he was already on something, but Meis had dealt to enough coke addicts as a teen to know that it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> worth starting.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sure thing, sexy bitch,” Gueira agreed, snuggling closer in his arms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis kissed him again, and then set him down on the mattress in the corner, ignoring his whine of protest. He’d distract himself soon enough. Meis clicked the lock shut on the box containing their stash, just in case, and then slipped out of the door.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>A day and a half later, they both sat in the courthouse waiting room. Gueira was repeatedly crumpling and smoothing out Meis’ temporary paper ID — they probably wouldn’t need it for the “ceremony”, since they’d already shown it to get the marriage license, but what if they did? Better to have it ready, just in case. Gueira’s own ID, the driver’s license he’d earned only a couple months before he’d turned Burnish, was tucked away in his jacket’s inner pocket as always. Meis held the marriage license itself, balanced neatly on his lap.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The clerk called their number, and Gueira jumped. This was it, the moment of truth. Everything had gone okay at the DMV yesterday morning, and then filling out the license application at the court immediately after, but that was twenty-four hours ago. If the cops were actively searching for either of them, they might have figured it out by now. They were going to get called into a little back room, and the clerk was going to say, “I’m sorry, but you can’t get married, because... you’re under arrest.” And then Freeze Force would bust down the door and rush in, guns drawn, and Gueira would have his flames out by then but would it be soon enough, in such a small space, surrounded-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira felt Meis’ hand on his own, covering the first spark of a threatening fire. “C’mon. Our turn.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both stood up, and Gueira followed Meis to the back room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t all that small. Either this wasn’t its only purpose, or most people eloped with more of an audience. It felt a little bit empty, walls bare, chairs along the side, a folding table. Did most people bring decorations? Gueira suddenly realized that he’d only been to one wedding in his life, and while it hadn’t been overly lavish, it had been lovingly planned for months.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well. He and Meis had planned for a while, too. They’d just had other stuff to worry about besides cake flavors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The judge was already in the room, waiting for them. Meis didn’t let go of Gueira’s hand as they stood in front of her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have vows or rings prepared?” she asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Gueira answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine! I’ll go with the default then. You ready?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wait,” Gueira said. “Um, we don’t go by our legal names. I’m Gueira, and this is Meis. And, can you like, not say husband or wife? Use spouse or whatever?” Gueira makes a face as he says it: spouse is a weird-sounding word as well. Having trouble labeling their relationship is nothing new to him, though, and at least it’s better than husband and wife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Of course. Your full legal name will need to be on the certificate, but I can modify the verbal statements, and use neutral language. Is that all?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, cool, thanks, you can start now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The judge cleared her throat, and then began. “We are here today to join these two in marriage. Gueira, Meis, do you both declare you are free to lawfully marry each other?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yup.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gueira, do you take Meis to be your lawfully wedded partner, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, in sickness and health, in sorrow and joy, for as long as you both do live?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira could hear the blood rushing in his ears. “I do.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Meis, do you take Gueira to be your lawfully wedded partner, to have and to hold, for better, for worse, in sickness and health, in sorrow and joy, for as long as you both do live?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do.” Meis was staring straight ahead, focused entirely on the words being spoken.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I pronounce you married. You may now seal the union with a kiss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They did.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Meis stood watch while Gueira melted the inside of the locking mechanism on the motel door. Theoretically they had enough drug money left that they could have properly booked a room, but where was the fun in that? Breaking the law always fired Gueira up, and Meis couldn’t say it didn’t do anything for her as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The smell of melted steel drifted through the air as the door swung open. Gueira gestured towards the dark room with a flourish, and Meis couldn’t help but smile as she took the cue and led the way. She flipped the lights on as she passed, buzzing fluorescents that barely illuminated the room. “Nice mood lighting,” she commented, and Gueira snickered from where he was locking the security bolt.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis dumped their backpack and duffle bag on the floor — she was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> leaving anything in their freshly-stolen car in a motel parking lot — and then searched for the A/C controls. It was early spring yet, but they would be getting sweaty tonight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira flopped onto the bed, which creaked ominously, but it was king-sized, and seemed relatively clean. It’s not like they’d be footing the bill if they broke it. Meis turned to look at him and noticed their marriage certificate, carefully centered on the bedside table. She touched it softly as she walked by, and sat on the bed next to her… next to the person she’d married.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira broke the silence. “That was a lot of fucking work, huh.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Says the bastard who sat back and did the drugs while I sold ‘em.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! And it was a lot of work!” he shot back, faking offense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’all’re right, though,” Meis relented, “that was way more complicated than I thought it’d be. Can’t believe I finally have an ID.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You mean, the artist’s shitty ex has your ID. Or, will have it in three to six business weeks?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Somethin’ like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Totally worth it though, right?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What, the choice of address?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, dumbass,” Gueira said, shoving at Meis’ arm a bit, “getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>married.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis pretended to consider for a moment. “Well, I’ll have to see if the sex is any good-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shut </span>
  <em>
    <span>up,</span>
  </em>
  <span> you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> the sex is good. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> know you stopped by an </span>
  <em>
    <span>adult</span>
  </em>
  <span> store on the way out of the city, I was stuck waiting in the car. So it </span>
  <em>
    <span>better</span>
  </em>
  <span> be good.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, don’t worry babe, I splurged. This honeymoon’s gonna be sexy as all hell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck yeah. Being married </span>
  <em>
    <span>rules.</span>
  </em>
  <span> And now we’re gonna be married forever! Like, for real!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it was worth it. But I’m glad we never gotta do it again.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, we can just do </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> again and again,” and Gueira proved his point by dragging Meis down for kiss after kiss after kiss.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Just the epilogue left, folks!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Gueira didn’t bother knocking on the door to Lio’s office. Meis </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> paused them just outside to make sure Lio wasn’t on a conference call, but there’d been no voices, just soft piano music, so Gueira barged right in, dragging out the word “Boss!” in his most pleading voice.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio didn’t startle even a bit, just continued his typing.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Boss,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Gueira repeated, “we need help with our </span>
  <em>
    <span>taxes.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Still nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I got the forms from the chief,” he continued, “but it’s like. What the fuck do I do with them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Being a registered citizen with an address and a job is the worst,” Meis added. “Last year we didn’t have enough income or whatever, but apparently this year we actually have to fill this shit out.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, it sucks!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>gotta</span>
  </em>
  <span> explain this to us, Boss.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio moved a hand from the keyboard to the mouse and clicked on something. “You have your W2s with you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Uh…” Gueira looked down at the papers in his hands. Did he?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio sighed and held out his hand. Gueira scampered over and gave him the papers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio shuffled through them for a moment. “Alright, you’ve got those, but there’s only one copy of the actual form?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Meis said, “we’re filing together.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio finally looked up. “You can only do that if you’re married.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a long pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?” Gueira said. Even he knew that much. “We are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lio stared at him. “Gueira, this is legal paperwork. You have to use legally up-to-date information, and I was there when you were filling out your identification forms. You definitely skipped the page for recognizing common law marriages, which you might not have qualified for anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira… had no idea what was going on. He glanced at Meis, who looked like he was starting to get a headache, or maybe like he’d taken a bite of a pizza without knowing it had pineapple on it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Boss,” Meis said, “we only did those forms the hard way </span>
  <em>
    <span>because</span>
  </em>
  <span> we wanted our marriage to carry over, after all the shit it took to do it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, like, why else would I have kept my arrest record?” Gueira pointed out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Lio said, putting the papers down, “because you were proud of it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I mean, I guess I kinda am, but that’s not the point!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The point being, that you two have been married this whole time,” Lio said, like it was some big, painful breakthrough.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Boss, we’re married,” Meis confirmed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn,” Gueira muttered. Lio really hadn’t known.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Y’all… that’s why… Look, we knew most people didn’t know, which was whatever,” Meis started.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Gueira continued, “like it was kinda weird at first but we realized it was more fun just to fuck with em, as opposed to like, making some bullshit announcement?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But we thought </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> knew!” Meis exclaimed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How was I supposed to know?” Lio demanded, pushing his chair back and standing up. “You never </span>
  <em>
    <span>told</span>
  </em>
  <span> me. Why would I assume that </span>
  <em>
    <span>you two</span>
  </em>
  <span> had gone through a </span>
  <em>
    <span>legal ceremony?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Touché,” Meis sighed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gueira wasn’t so easily put off. “Why would we tell you when we thought you knew? And you know what, I swear we even talked about it around you? Like sure, we didn’t a lot, but like, at </span>
  <em>
    <span>least</span>
  </em>
  <span> one time! Plus, you always just know everything!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Apparently not enough to notice you sneaking off to get married.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nah, Boss, it was before we met you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Lio stalked around his desk to stand directly in front of them. “When exactly? Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> tell me you were secretly childhood friends.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a pause.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What would you call childhood, exactly?” Meis asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Holy shit,” Lio said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Boss, we met when we were… sixteen, or something around there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Got married soon as this lil bitch turned eighteen,” Gueira added.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis elbowed Gueira in the side for that. Gueira pinched his ass in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn,” Lio said, “and I thought Galo and I had been a bit impulsive. At least we’re in our twenties!” His offended shock finally sizzled out into impressed disbelief as he asked, “So, it’s been, what… seven years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis stared out into space thoughtfully for a moment, then gave up. “Something like that.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Damn. No wonder everyone thinks you two act like an old married couple. Are you going to tell them you actually are?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Meis and Gueira looked at each other. Meis just shrugged, so Gueira answered, “Eh, maybe if we ever really need to shake things up. Derail the workplace gossip train, or show off or something. Anyway, you gonna help with our taxes or what?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, pull up some chairs.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And, we're done! Thank you so much to all my readers!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments are of course appreciated, even just a "!!!!!" or "kudos x2" or whatever. ^u^ And while I've already finished writing <i>this</i> fic, I might write more little stories in this AU! So let me know if there's any characters you'd like to see more of or details you're interested in.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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